Introducing Tammy Dearie

Tammy Nickelson Dearie, who currently serves as the UC San Diego Library’s Associate University Librarian for Enterprise Services, will become the Interim University Librarian when Brian Schottlaender retires at the end of June.

Although the recruitment effort for Brian Schottlaender’s successor has begun, recruitments like this can often take up to a year, so in that time, Tammy will become much more visible at Library events and more familiar to Library friends and supporters. This transition will go smoothly, as Tammy’s breadth of experience in the Library world, and at UC San Diego in particular, is impressive, as are her accomplishments and leadership skills.

A UC San Diego alumna who received her M.L.I.S. (Master of Library & Information Science) degree from UCLA, Tammy has a wealth of experience in managing Library budgets, departments, and staff, as well as major projects, processes, and initiatives. In 2009, after serving as the head librarian for the former Social Sciences & Humanities Library for 8 years, Tammy was appointed to serve as Associate University Librarian, reporting to the University Librarian and a member of the Library’s senior management team. Under the auspices of Brian Schottlaender, Tammy played a pivotal role in the Library’s reorganization to a more centralized model, in collaboration with associate university librarians Catherine Friedman and Martha Hruska, who make up the senior leadership team, and Library staff.

As the Associate University Librarian for Enterprise Services, Tammy has directed and managed the Library’s $30 million budget, including contract and grant administration, human resources, internal communications, information technology, facilities and capital planning, and safety and security. She has also played a leadership role in the Library’s strategic planning efforts, and has been instrumental in guiding major Library initiatives and projects, including the Geisel Library Revitalization Initiative (GLRI). She has also provided leadership at the UC sytemwide level, both as the UC San Diego Library’s representative on union-related issues and as a member of numerous UC committees and California Digital Library initiatives.

In addition to her many achievements on behalf of the UC San Diego and UC Libraries, Tammy has continued to hone her skills as a leader and manager at the Library, and has broadened her knowledge and expertise in several critical areas. Over the last decade, she has participated in numerous leadership institutes and Library conferences focused on next generation libraries and strategies for success in the 21st century. Given her commitment to continual learning and innovation, Tammy has gained knowledge and expertise in virtually all areas of Library administration, from the needs of 21st century researchers and trends in reference, access services and technology, to cultural copyright protection in the digital age. She has also consulted with other academic libraries on interlibrary loan and resource sharing issues, and has presented and published numerous papers including a forthcoming book on case studies in academic library management.