Trevor Dawes

Trevor A. Dawes is a Jamaican-born American librarian and educator. He is the vice provost for libraries and museums and May Morris University Librarian at the University of Delaware.^[1] Dawes served as the 76th president of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL).

Trevor A. Dawes
Trevor A. Dawes
Born	August 17, 1966 Saint Catherine Parish, Jamaica
Nationality	American, Jamaican
Occupation	Librarian
Employer	University of Delaware
Known for	President of ACRL, 2013–2014 President of ARL, 2024
Website	trevordawes.wordpress.com

Early life and education

Dawes was born in St. Catherine, Jamaica, to Louise and Charles Dawes.^{[citation needed]} The family relocated to Brooklyn, New York, in 1980.

Dawes received a BA degree in sociology from Columbia University in 1990 and an MA in educational administration from Teachers College, Columbia University in 1994.^{[citation needed]} He earned a MLS from Rutgers University – New Brunswick in 2001 and Ed.M in educational leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University the following year.^{[citation needed]}

Career

Dawes began his career in academic library management with positions at Columbia University and Princeton University prior to 2013.^{[citation needed]}

Washington University in St. Louis

Dawes served as Associate University Librarian at Washington University in St. Louis from 2013 to 2016.^[2] During his tenure, the WUSTL Libraries helped create Documenting Ferguson (Washington University Libraries § Documenting Ferguson). This community-driven digital repository documents the unrest in Ferguson, Missouri after the murder of Michael Brown at the hands of police.

University of Delaware

Dawes is currently the Vice Provost for Libraries, Museums, and Press^[3] and May Morris University Librarian at the University of Delaware. Having served in this role since 2016, Dawes has overseen a significant period of change at the institution. During his tenure, responsibility for the University Museums and University of Delaware Press was formally added to his management portfolio and has been incorporated into a single organization.

Additionally, Dawes has been an adjunct professor at Drexel University College of Computing and Informatics and other institutions since 2006.^{[citation needed]}

Social and professional recognition

Dawes was named president of the Association of College and Research Libraries in July 2013 and served for one year.^[4] Prior to assuming the presidency, Dawes served as Vice President/President-Elect for one year. Similarly, he served as Past President during Campion's term. During his tenure as president, Dawes continued his work on equity, diversity, and inclusion. He also focused on increasing financial literacy and worked to expand discussions around how libraries add value to their institutions.^{[citation needed]}

On June 16, 2021, Dawes was appointed as a commissioner to the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission (JUSFC).^[5]

Dawes was elected the 2024 President of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) on October 18, 2023.^[6]. Dawes has been active in the organization and also serves on the board.