Dean of University Libraries named at URI

KARIM B. Boughida has been appointed dean of University Libraries at the University of Rhode Island. / COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND
KARIM B. Boughida has been appointed dean of University Libraries at the University of Rhode Island. / COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND

SOUTH KINGSTOWN – Karim B. Boughida has been appointed dean of University Libraries at the University of Rhode Island.
Donald H. DeHayes, URI’s provost and vice president for academic affairs, made the appointment following a national search.
Boughida, of Washington, D.C., will start his new role on Aug. 1. He will relieve Professor Cheryl Ann McCarthy of Portsmouth, who has served as interim dean during the past year.

He currently is the associate university librarian for digital initiatives and content management at George Washington University, where he has worked since 2008.

“Based on his decades of experience at top institutions in North America and North Africa, he will bring a fresh, global perspective to one of the most critical, physical and virtual resources for research and teaching in the 21st century – the university libraries. His leadership will benefit the university and support our relationships with other libraries statewide,” DeHayes said.
“In my view, we could not have done better in selecting a dean with substantial experience, leadership and a strong reputation as a collaborator, team builder and leader in digital projects and initiatives,” DeHayes added.

Fluent in Arabic, French and English, Boughida is a frequent public speaker on library, information technology and data issues, and has spoken at the Digital Library Federation, the Museum Computer Network and the Coalition for Networked Information. He was one of five experts invited to discuss the International Bibliographic Framework Transition Initiative at the U.S. Library of Congress.

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“I am pleased, honored and humbled to be joining a dedicated and talented library faculty and staff. I look forward to engaging with the URI community (and beyond) to build leading services, spaces and collections to support the university’s strategic directions. I think the future of the university libraries is bright,” Boughida said. “URI is the quintessential land and sea grant research university that embodies the ideals of a public university, particularly inclusiveness, accessibility and social responsibility.”

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