The power of the library in today’s academic world is growing and changing every single day. So when it came time to choose the leader to oversee the University’s library system, officials turned to a respected innovator in the field who brings vast experience, creativity, vision, and a stellar track record of success at leading institutions around the country – including right here at UVA. John M. Unsworth began his new job as University Librarian, Dean of Libraries, and Professor of English on June 25, 2016.

Unsworth, who most recently served as Vice Provost, University Librarian, Chief Information Officer, and Professor of English at Brandeis University, received his PhD in English from UVA in 1988 and later became a tenured Associate Professor of English at the University, as well as the first director of UVA’s Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities. He is internationally recognized as a pioneer in the field of digital humanities and is the co-founder of the first peer-reviewed electronic journal in the humanities, Postmodern Culture. “John Unsworth is a skilled administrator and expert in the digital humanities,” University President Teresa A. Sullivan said. “He has a unique blend of experience and expertise that has helped shape the future of scholarship, research, and education at UVA as it enters its third century.”

Unsworth said he is delighted to return to Grounds and to continue the work he helped begin at UVA many years ago. “Twenty-three years ago, I helped plant some of the seeds of Virginia’s digital library and digital humanities activity, nurtured over the years by faculty expertise in many areas, by deep special collections, and – most important – by great librarians. I look forward to working with the whole University community as we chart the future of this remarkable library.”