Brown University Library News

Jeanette Norris has accepted the position of Head of Metadata Services, effective December 1, 2018. Prior to this promotion, Jeanette served as a Metadata Librarian.

Jeanette’s inclusive leadership style will be instrumental in moving the department into new modes of descriptive cataloging and metadata demanded by sophisticated discovery systems and digital platforms. With clarity of expression and a focus on direct action, she is a constructive force in ensuring that the Access Services and Collection Management department is truly the learning community it aspires to be.

As a Metadata Librarian, Jeanette managed a team of experts who are responsible for ingesting and exporting hundreds of thousands of records annually into the Library’s Management System and ensuring that the quality of the records meets the highest standards. Jeanette also led the effort to match use of the International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI) with Brown University departments and organizations and is currently working with the Brown Digital Repository (BDR) developers to align up-to-date metadata standards with the evolving usage of the BDR.

Chair of the Discovery Advisory Group, Jeanette successfully led the transition from Summon to the EDS discovery system and, together with Digital Technologies, continues to lead the ongoing creative development of the open source Blacklight system. Recently, she partnered with vendors and colleagues to conduct usability studies to make sure that the needs of Brown University researchers and scholars are being progressively met.

Jeanette inspires confidence in her colleagues through her metadata expertise, bridging policy and procedure in the service of creating a robust delivery experience for our patrons that will facilitate and enhance their interaction with Brown’s distinctive collections.

The  Library is proud to congratulate Tiffini Bowers, Exhibition Curator, on her receipt of the 2018 Brown University Excellence Award in the Rising Star category.

The Rising Star Award is presented to an individual or team that, “has made an immediate impact on their department and the University. This award recognizes the energy, enthusiasm, knowledge, and innovative ideas a new employee may bring to the workplace” (Brown Human Resources).

Hired as the inaugural Brown Library Exhibition Curator in 2016, Tiffini provides leadership, vision, and strategic direction for the Library’s exhibition program, which is committed to supporting the Library’s mission; aligning with Brown’s standards and priorities; and upholding professional standards in conservation, preservation, scholarship, and collections care and management.

An award-winning museum curator with over 15 years of experience, Tiffini has worked with numerous museums, cultural institutions, and entertainment organizations including the Smithsonian Institution, Hermosa Beach Historical Society, Hollywood Black Film Festival, Autry/Southwest Museum of the American Indian, and California African American Museum.

With nine exhibition spaces throughout four buildings and a mix of permanent, temporary, and traveling exhibits, the exhibition program at the Library requires a great deal of planning, knowledge, creativity, and expertise. Tiffini brings all of these attributes to her role and the Library is thrilled that the University has recognized her as a rising star for the excellence she imparts to our exhibitions program.

Click here for more information about exhibits at the Library.