When an announcement regarding a lecture by Cornell's librarian, Sarah Thomas, first hit my email inbox, I expressed disbelief... could it be a free Cornell alumni event? But no, it dawned on me that Sarah Thomas has recently accepted the position as Oxford's chief librarian:
Wednesday 28 March 2007, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Downtown Harvard Club of Boston
1 Federal Street, 38th Floor
Boston, MA 02110
I've been meaning to blog about Thomas's departure for a while. She was a wonderful librarian for the University, a champion of digital services, and brought many good things (Libe Cafe anyone?) to a decentralized and often confusing system of libraries on East Hill. But believe it or not, Oxford's academic structure is even more confusing than Cornell's. So as an Oxonian as well as a Cornellian, I hope she will be equally successful among the dreaming spires of Oxfordshire.
N.B. Cornell's office of alumni affairs could take some pointers from the much more financially strapped Oxford. A free event featuring a university speaker that is open to all is virtually unheard of among Cornell alumni events.
