Letter from the President: Erin Schreiner Appointed as Executive Director
September 20, 2018
Dear Members of the Bibliographical Society of America:
After a year-long discussion, the Council decided at the annual meeting in January 2018 to recruit a full-time Executive Director. Council took this decision to better meet the diverse needs of its members and to more effectively promote the importance of bibliography in the 21st century. Because of the prudent management of our financial assets, and the strong leadership of the Council, it has been possible to create a full-time position.
I am pleased to announce the appointment of Erin Schreiner as the new Executive Director of our Society. Since February, the Search Committee (co-chaired by Martin Antonetti and myself, and including Barbara Heritage, Jennifer Lowe, and Michael Ryan) conducted a search that attracted more than 30 applicants.
Many of you have already encountered Erin Schreiner from her presentation on the panel at the January 2018 annual meeting (“Bibliography in the Expanded Field: New Directions, Future Trends”) or from her work with the Rare Book School. Since 2008 Erin has been an independent bibliographer working with private and institutional collections relating to American cinema, European architectural history, and British literature. As Special Collections Librarian and Digital Humanities Curator at the New York Society Library, she led a project to design and launch City Readers, a digital-collections portal that was named by Slate magazine as one of the top five digital history projects of 2016. Erin writes regularly about bibliography, the history of reading, and the rare book world for online publications, including Atlas Obscura and LitHub.
When asked about her aspirations for the newly expanded role of the Executive Director of the BSA, Erin responded:
“I shall bring to the position a demonstrated commitment to bibliographical teaching and scholarship, and to growth through collaborative partnerships and outreach. I seek to expand the BSA’s mission and impact both within the scholarly community and among the broader public with strategic initiatives to bolster our world class programs, publications, and fellowships.”
I hope that you will join me in welcoming Erin as she begins her work on Monday, 17 September.
Please also join me in thanking Michele Randall for her dedicated service for more than 21 years, and for her assistance in the transition in the months ahead.
Sincerely yours,
Barbara A. Shailor, Ph.D.
President