June 3, 2021

Q and A with UW Libraries Dean Wilson

Adapted from ARL membership communications for spring/summer 2021 by Kaylyn Groves

Betsy Wilson, Vice Provost of Digital Initiatives and Dean of University Libraries at the University of Washington plans to retire July 1, 2021, after a nearly 30-year career with UW Libraries, 20- years as Dean.  As dean, Betsy leads a network of 16 academic research libraries across all three UW campuses, and the UW Press. She took on the additional role of vice provost for digital initiatives in 2013, a role in which she developed an overall strategy on digital issues, including open access and open science. From 1992 through 2000, Betsy was the associate director of the UW’s Libraries for Research and Instructional Services. Prior to that, she was the assistant director of libraries for Undergraduate and Instructional Services at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. Betsy  has served on numerous industry committees and working groups, including:

• President of the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) in 2000–2001
• ARL Board of Directors in 2003–2006
• chair of the OCLC Board of Trustees in 2003–2007
• chair of the Transforming Research Libraries Steering Committee in 2005–2007
• chair of the Orbis Cascade Alliance Board of Directors in 2011–2012
• chair of the Fair Use and Related Exemptions 2013–2015

ARL’s Kaylyn Groves interviewed Betsy via videoconference in March 2021. The interview follows.

Why and how did you get started in librarianship?

When I was an undergrad at Northwestern, my mother suggested that I get a work-study position in the library. I did, as a circulation assistant. Now my whole family jokes that my mother didn’t think I’d stay in the library for 47 years. It was interesting to see the library go through an automation project, and working at the circ desk was useful because I learned how to use the library. I even taught my friends how to use the library—original peer-to-peer instruction. My interest in the library was piqued even more as a result of my senior honors project. I was a double major in German and art history, researching the Der Sturm group of artists.

The card catalog directed me to Special Collections, which had ephemera of that group. I went to Deering Library and asked the head of Special Collections, Russell Malone, if I could see those materials. He was so excited because I was the first person who had ever asked to see those things. They were wonderful little booklets the artists distributed on the streets of Berlin, manifestos about their beliefs regarding art and politics. So, when thinking about what to do after graduation, the question formed in the back of my mind, “What’s this library science thing?” I asked at the reference desk for information about grad school in library science. They told me not to make my choice based on rankings solely. I ignored that advice and applied to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. They gave me a full scholarship, which was a gift because I had worked since I was twelve. Moving to Illinois was also appealing because I was ready to end my college romance and that would provide an easy way to sever ties.

Ironically, in library school, I avoided every class that had “automation” or “data processing” in the title. My career goal was to be a rare book librarian at the Newberry Library, which I never even got near. I wound up being a VP for digital initiatives. When I started, I had a romanticized view of librarianship. I was very fortunate to have great mentors who trusted me to learn and grow as I went along. Forty years later it’s a completely different world.

What are the highlights of your career?

My overall impact has been to cultivate an environment of collaboration, partnerships, inclusion, and innovation at the University of Washington. Twenty years gives you enough time to shape culture. First, I focused on developing a user-centered library, which we did through assessment.

My overall impact has been to cultivate an environment of collaboration, partnerships, inclusion, and innovation at the University of Washington. Twenty years gives you enough time to shape culture. First, I focused on developing a user-centered library, which we did through assessment.

Then we created the anytime/anyplace digital library and strengthened our Special Collections. All of those accomplishments were predicated on the fabulous staff. As the roles of libraries and librarians evolved, I also helped put the library where it needs to be—integrated throughout the
whole institution.

I’ve overseen a few large capital projects. In my first year as dean, we retrofitted the iconic main library building to make it seismically safe while maintaining its look, even with an earthquake occurring halfway through the project. We’ve won several architectural and library awards. We built an environmentally sound storage facility, and we built a state-of-the-art conservation center and program aided by funding from the Mellon Foundation and others.

That last project is just one example of our now-diversified funding sources. The library used to rely on state and university funding. I branched out. When I started, we had a $10 million
endowment that has grown to $60 million and gives us flexibility to do new projects. We also just finished a capital campaign for the university; the library brought in 148 percent of its goal.
Something I discovered over the course of my career is that I have a propensity for bringing people and organizations together. I was one of the prime architects of the merger of OCLC and Research Libraries Group (RLG) as well as that of the Orbis and Cascade consortia. The combined organizations provide greater value than they did as individual competitors. I also helped bring the Digital Library Federation (DLF) into the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR).

Early on, I had incredible mentors so I have tried to do the same for others.

Early on, I had incredible mentors so I have tried to do the same for others. Hugh Atkinson at Illinois was one of my mentors—he was fabulous. He always used to say “there’s room for everyone to succeed” and “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” When I was in my mid-20s he asked me, “How would you like to be in charge of training the whole state in using the new online catalog?” I said, “Oh, sure.”  What did I know? Looking back, I wondered how he trusted me to do that. It was a stretch assignment. When I was done training everyone, he asked me, “What will happen to libraries when the mainframe is on everyone’s desk?” This was a few years before the first personal computer was available. He was prescient. He taught me so much—to trust others and give them opportunities to explore and expand.

…the staff I work with are amazing. They are the brightest highlight of my career.

Finally, the staff I work with are amazing. They are the brightest highlight of my career. I have complete confidence that the next generation of leaders will help us solve looming problems, such as issues in scholarly communication and sustainability. We’ve had some success with open access but I wish we were farther along.

Were there goals that you set as a director that you have not yet reached?

I thought this last year would be a really fun year—and then came the pandemic. We’ve learned a lot and done great work. We pivoted quickly to remote learning and research, which we couldn’t have done without the past 20 years of preparation. Many things are underway now that my successor will have to finish, including building the second phase of our remote-shelving facility and renovating the Tateuchi East Asia Library, which will be a thrill for the next person. We launched our Open Scholarship Commons online in 2020 and will open the physical manifestation of it as soon as we can re-enter the building. Terrific staff and planning will see these efforts through.

I wish we had a sustainable publishing model that would benefit the public good and open research. In the fall of 2000, our then provost Lee Huntsman and I talked about scholarly
publishing. He said, “It’s an economic model that will collapse on itself.” I asked him how long we thought that would take. He said, “Oh, I don’t know, eight to ten years.” But it’s still one issue our field needs to keep working on. And we need to ensure that knowledge can work its way into all of society, not just academia.

(Developing sustainable publishing models) is still one issue our field needs to keep working on. And we need to ensure that knowledge can work its way into all of society, not just academia.

On a related note, two to three years ago, the library assumed responsibility for the UW Press. We are just now starting to see the fruits of that consolidation with open access publishing and joint projects. I wish we were further along. And compensation for people who work in our libraries is still much lower than it should be, given the value they bring to the whole enterprise. This is especially true in places like Seattle where it is so expensive to live. It is troubling because it affects everyone individually and affects what they can contribute.

What advice do you have for individuals who aspire to leadership positions/roles in libraries?

It’s funny, I recently met with a group of students from the iSchool who asked me the same question. I felt like saying, “You’re asking me? My career has been so happenstance.” But when I reflected on it I was able to come up with a few pieces of advice:

• Know what your values are. They will get you through hard times as well as easy ones.
• Do the work. You can’t be a dean right away. You need time and experience to learn and
become humble.
• Find work-life balance. If you don’t do this, you will collapse in on yourself.
• Build your network of personal connections and influence. The ARL Leadership Fellows program, which I helped start, is a great opportunity for this. Fellows build the network they depend on for the rest of their career. Your cohort will always be there for you and will respond quickly when you call on them.
• Cultivate curiosity and optimism. These qualities are key in leadership roles.
• Get out and about on campus and in the field, take inspiration wherever you find it, and
communicate that to your staff.

What key issues do you think research libraries will face in the next five years?

There are so many unknowns about how we re-enter the post-pandemic world. How should we take teleworking forward? What is the role of the physical place? It is a powerful convening
mechanism for people. But there will be more demand for digital delivery of services and expertise as well as collections and knowledge. It will take a while for us to figure out what the library will be in the post-pandemic era, just as it will take time to figure out what the university will be. James Duderstadt used to say, “The future of the library predicts the future of the university.” We have the opportunity to rethink so many things. We need to be courageous about what we stop doing—what we didn’t do this year that no one noticed because remote capabilities are so superior now. That opportunity will enable us to take on new things.

James Duderstadt used to say, “The future of the library predicts the future of the university.” We have the opportunity to rethink so many things.

Pre-pandemic issues that will continue to be important include developing sustainable publishing and scholarly communication; advocating for public policy related to who owns the knowledge and research—all parts of it, from data to publications; and advancing from a piecemeal approach to digital infrastructure toward a shared and holistic approach.

Learning what an anti-racist organization is and how we get there will be critical. We need to move past the phase of reading books and having discussions. We also need to figure out how we measure the progress we make.

What still inspires you about librarianship?

I’ve stayed as long as I have because it is a mission-driven field, and I’ll be able to continue contributing (in retirement). It has inspired me to see library employees coming together to do amazing things, especially through a pandemic. I love the interconnectedness of the field around the globe. My husband used to say, “Marry a librarian and see the world.” We truly have the ability to solve worldwide problems.

This is also a lifelong enterprise. People I met through my first job are lifelong friends and colleagues. My first conference roommate is my current conference roommate, now solely because we enjoy each other’s company. This is a huge gift.

What do you look forward to in the next phase of your life?

I look forward to re-tapping into things I used to do that got lost in the traveling and professional work and intensity of the day-to-day, particularly the arts. I recently joined the Seattle Opera Board, which is a way of bringing my fiduciary and governance experience to something I care about. The opera has been very challenged this year but has done imaginative things, such as recording partially staged operas to stream online. I also want to see if I can still do printmaking and painting.  I want to learn how to box. I have Parkinson’s—boxing is one of the best things you can do for it.  All the boxing classes are during work hours. Now that won’t matter!  I am moving to Louisville, Kentucky, where my sister, nephew, and niece live. It will be hard to leave Seattle after 29 years—I will miss the mountains and cool marine air—but my new home will be walking distance from my sister’s. My husband died two years ago and the pandemic made me realize how important it is to be close to family. Apparently, Louisville is the place for ARL directors to land. David Carlson is retiring there too and Hannelore Rader still lives there. Poor Bob Fox will have more advice than he wants.

From afar, I will be cheering on the next dean and supporting the UW Libraries as it soars to the next level.

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