Martha A. Bedard, MSLS, AHIP

Martha Bedard was appointed Dean of the University Libraries at the University of New Mexico (UNM) on August 1, 2007. Since arriving at UNM she has served on the Diversity Steering Committee, the New Mexico Consortium of Academic Libraries’ Legislative Committee and the Association of Academic Research Libraries of New Mexico.

Since arriving, she has led the library leadership through a strategic priorities planning session and is now embarked on an ambitious plan to refocus library resources toward more electronic content and services in order to meet the needs of the current generation of students.

Professor Bedard came to UNM from Texas A&M University (TAMU), the 5th largest public university in the U.S. where she served in various leadership roles since 2000 including Associate Dean for Information and Collection Services. Her previous positions at TAMU included Associate Dean and Director of the Medical Sciences Library, Associate Dean for Advanced Studies, and Associate Dean for Digital Initiatives. Prior to TAMU her positions included Associate Director for Library Services, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Health Sciences Library, as well as medical library directorships at Wake Medical Center in Raleigh NC, the Medical Center of Central Massachusetts in Worcester MA, and Lowell General Hospital in Lowell MA.

Professor Bedard received a Bachelor of Arts, Cum Laude, from Fitchburg State College in Fitchburg MA, and a Master of Science in Library Science from Simmons Graduate School of Library and Information Science, Boston MA. She was tenured as a Full Professor of Library Science at TAMU, and holds that rank now at UNM. She completed a 2 year intensive course of study as an Association of Research Libraries Leadership Fellow, and was the holder of the Lila B. King endowed Professorship. She is a Distinguished Member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals, a fully credentialed Health Sciences Librarian, and has a long record of service on numerous library and university committees.

Her professional service focuses on research, presenting and consulting on library management issues such as single point of service, service models for supporting distance education, planning for institutional effectiveness, and the integration of informatics into the curriculum. She is the Principal Investigator for a $400,000 Institute of Museum and Library Services recruitment grant. She is active in the Association of Research Library currently serving on the Scholarly Communications Committee and has many years of national involvement in the Medical Library Association, having served recently as Chair of the Continuing Education Committee, and in the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries as Chair of the Program Committee. Regionally, she is the immediate past Chair of the Board for the South Central Academic Medical Library Directors and just completed service on the Regional Advisory Council for the National Network/National Library of Medicine South Central Region.

(Curriculum Vitae )