ZACHARY BAKER has been appointed to the position of assistant university librarian for collection development (humanities and social sciences) at Stanford University Libraries and Academic Information Resources (SULAIR), effective July 1. Baker, currently the Reinhard Family Curator of Judaica and Hebraica Collections, will have a primary role in shaping the way Stanford acquires books and other research and teaching materials, as alternatives to printed books become increasingly common.
“It is with great pleasure that I announce that Zachary is accepting this critical position,” said University Librarian MICHAEL A. KELLER. “Over the past decade and more, Zachary has proved himself to be a wise and thoughtful collection builder and leader. I have great confidence in his ability to help us navigate through the undoubtedly turbulent years ahead for collections policy and practice.”
Baker, who was offered the position after a national search, will retain his role as curator of Judaica and Hebraica, which he has held since 1999.
“SULAIR offers an excellent environment to explore the new and the cutting edge, while at the same time documenting and conserving the human heritage in all its diversity,” Baker wrote in his letter of application.
With degrees from the University of Chicago, Brandeis University and the University of Minnesota, Baker came to Stanford with more than 20 years of professional experience at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, New York, and at the Jewish Public Library, Montreal, Canada. He has a reading knowledge of French, Hebrew, Spanish, Yiddish, German, Polish, Portuguese, Russian and English, and is broadly versed in the humanities and library and information policy matters. He has taught several courses at Stanford and written and participated in a broad range of scholarly and professional circles locally, nationally and abroad.
