By Tara Centeno, USF Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President
The University of South Florida announced the appointment of Carol Ann Borchert as the new dean of the USF Libraries, bringing to the role a distinguished record of advancing library operations to enhance the impact of research and scholarship across the university.
Borchert has served USF for nearly three decades, most recently as senior associate dean of the USF Libraries. She has led major initiatives that have strengthened access to scholarly resources, expanded digital preservation efforts, enhanced research support services and improved the visibility of faculty scholarship.
Her accomplishments include overseeing the transition of the Searchable Ornithological Research Archive with more than 80,000 items for preservation on USF's Digital Commons platform, implementing Digital Commons Data to support research data management, guiding significant library technology and repository transitions, and supporting faculty success and promotion initiatives.
In her role as dean, Borchert will maintain the USF Libraries' position as a partner in student success, research excellence and community engagement. In collaboration with library faculty and staff, she will accelerate learning and scholarship through expert support, distinctive collections, innovative technologies, collaborative spaces and services that empower students, faculty and researchers.
"As USF advances its national prominence and research impact, the library plays a critical role in driving scholarship, innovation and academic achievement,” said USF Provost and Executive Vice President Prasant Mohapatra. “Dean Borchert will play an instrumental role in propelling both the library and the university forward as we strive to achieve our shared vision of becoming a top-tier public institution, enhancing our position and impact as a member of the Association of American Universities and growing our robust research enterprise.”
In addition to her role at USF, Borchert is also a recognized leader in the academic library profession, having served as president of a national professional organization and as a frequent contributor to national conversations on scholarly communication, open access publishing and library innovation.
“I am honored to serve as dean of the University of South Florida Libraries. The Libraries play a vital role in supporting faculty excellence, research and student success, and we will continue to embrace innovation to enhance our services and prepare students for an increasingly complex information environment,” Borchert said. “After nearly three decades at USF, I am proud of how far we have come and excited for what lies ahead.”