UNF Hires New Director to Oversee Campus Library

Contact: Joanna Norris, Assistant Director
Department of Media Relations and Events
(904) 620-2102



The University of North Florida announced today the hiring of a new director to oversee its campus library. Dr. Shirley Hallblade will serve as library director of the Thomas G. Carpenter Library.

Hallblade is currently the college librarian at Occidental College in Los Angeles, Calif., where she has served for the last three years. Prior to her appointment at Occidental College, Hallblade worked as director of the J. Hugh Jackson Library for the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University, Stanford, Calif., and has also held numerous library administrative positions at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.

“UNF is fortunate to have someone with Shirley’s background in educational administration and library science to manage our campus library,” said UNF President John A. Delaney. “Her expertise will be paramount as our student population continues to grow and the need for library services expand.”

Hallblade, who begins her position in March, will be responsible for the organization, administration, operation and evaluation of library services, physical facilities, staff and budgets, as well as developing the library’s collections and services.

She has a doctorate in educational administration from the University of Iowa and a master’s in library science from Northern Illinois University. Hallblade presently serves on the board of directors for the Statewide California Electronic Library Consortium and is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Library Association, Association of College and Research Libraries, Library Administrative and Management Association and the Zamorano Club, a Los Angeles-based bibliophilic society.


The Carpenter Library recently underwent a $22 million expansion and renovation, adding 79,000 square feet to the facility. The four-story library comprises 199,000 square feet and now has a seating capacity of 2,000, with three glassed-in grand reading rooms, 12 group study rooms, 40 graduate carrel study rooms and wireless capabilities throughout the entire building.

The library houses 776,958 volumes; almost 18,000 audio units; 7,259 video units; 13,000 electronic journals; over 42,000 electronic books; 136,755 government documents; more than 7,900 maps and 1.5 million microform units.




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