Arne Almquist of Union, Kentucky, has been selected to serve as dean of the Mary and John Gray Library, Lamar University Provost James Marquart announced today. Almquist’s appoint follows a national search for new leadership for the position that is at the heart of the university’s academic endeavors, Marquart said.

"Dr. Almquist's deep knowledge of and experience in information science will be of tremendous benefit to Lamar University," said Marquart. "Libraries are the academic heart of institutions of higher learning. Today, the vision and technical knowledge needed to make them excel is greater than ever. The students and faculty of Lamar University will benefit from Dr. Almquist's leadership in this incredibly vital area of our campus."

Almquist’s will join LU’s faculty August 1 from Northern Kentucky University, where he has served as associate provost and dean of the library since 2001. In 2015, his duties were further expanded to include managing and developing the university’s Center for Innovation and Technology in Education and the university’s Grant County Center, a remote outreach center supporting students in a four-county rural area. Before becoming library dean at NKU, Almquist served one year as interim Chief Information Officer.

Under his direction, NKU’s library aggressively applied technology and new collection development techniques to expand access to information resources during a time of flat or decreasing budgets. He also led the library into a major expansion of its instructional efforts. The library instituted a fully online Bachelor's program in library informatics as well as an online continuing education program.

From 1993 to 2001, Almquist worked at the University of North Texas Libraries, Denton, Texas, as assistant dean of libraries, and from 1988 to 1996 as head of its LAN/PC management department.

He holds a Ph.D. and Master’s in information science from the University of North Texas. He also holds an M.F.A. in music performance from State University of New York at Buffalo.

His professional affiliations include the American Library Association, American Society for Information Science and Technology, and EDUCAUSE. Throughout his professional career, Almquist has been an active member of these organizations, serving on committees, executive committees and boards. In addition, his university service is extensive, both at NKU and North Texas.

His expertise in library science and higher education is sought after as a consultant and in service to state agencies in Kentucky and beyond, as well as in numerous consortia and professional initiatives. He is a published academician, with nearly a dozen articles in peer-reviewed journals and professional publications, and is a sought after presenter at local, regional and state meetings and conferences.