Consuella Askew

Vice President for University Libraries and University Librarian

Phone: 973-353-5222

Email: consuella.askew@rutgers.edu

Location:
Archibald S. Alexander Library
169 College Avenue
Floor 03, Room 369
New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1163

Roles and Responsibilities 

• Fiscal responsibility for the Libraries collections and operating budgets of approximately $50M in expenditures and endowment funds valued over $27M and fundraising 
• Oversight of  ~200 FTE employees represented by six different unions and 11 facilities across three geographic locations. 
• Establish and is accountable for strategic plans, performance objectives, and guides implementation and assessment of Libraries services, programs, and all aspects of operations systemwide. 
• Provide direct oversight and evaluation of a management team that is responsible for financial and budgetary matters, information technology, digital and technical library services, collection development of library and archival resources, instruction and reference service delivery, Libraries outreach programs and events, facilities management, and materials transportation services. 
• Participate in the appointment, reappointment, tenure and promotion process for faculty. 
• Serve as an advocate for the information resource needs for the University community. 
• Represent the Libraries and the University on local, regional, national, and international levels. 

Biography

Dr. Consuella Askew, is the Vice President for University Libraries and University Librarian for Rutgers University. Dr. Askew is a forward-looking academician who views the libraries as foundational to embracing the values of diversity and inclusive excellence. She provides leadership for 11 libraries and five distinctive collections with locations on the Camden, Newark, and New Brunswick campuses.

Dr. Askew has broad leadership and practical experience which positions her as a successful advocate for fostering both access and excellence in a public university. Prior to assuming her current role, she was the Associate University Librarian for Rutgers–Newark. She has also served as the Associate Dean for Public Services at Florida International University Libraries and held leadership positions at the City University of New York (CUNY), where she was appointed the inaugural Chief Librarian for the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism – now the Craig Newmark School of Journalism. An active contributor to the academic library profession, Dr. Askew serves on the editorial board for the award-winning journal, portal: Libraries and the Academy, and for professional organizations, such as the Association of Research Libraries, Big Ten Academic Alliance, Libraries Initiatives, Virtual Academic Library Environment of New Jersey (VALE). Dr. Askew has published and presented on topics such as library leadership, library assessment, and adapting library services to meet evolving user needs. 

Dr. Askew earned her Bachelors of Arts. in English from Spelman College, Master’s in Library and Information Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and her Doctorate in Higher Education from Florida International University.