Femi Cadmus was appointed head of the Law School Library and associate dean for Library Services this August. She said that as libraries nationwide face an uncertain future she is not afraid to adapt to a digital age.
“My vision is for a transformative, innovative, forward-thinking, library. I’m not afraid to try new things,” Cadmus said. “With the shift to digital collections and reliance on technology, we, as librarians, need to stay relevant, be adaptable and explore new avenues.”
Cadmus comes to Cornell from the Yale Law School, where she was Associate Director for Administration and a Lecturer in Legal Research.
“I never thought I’d be a librarian. It was never on my radar at all,” Cadmus said.
Born in New York City and raised in Nigeria, Cadmus received her law degrees before working as a research assistant in a law library. She said she enjoyed working with students and faculty in the research environment and decided to attend library school in the early 1990s.
“It was an interesting time to attend library school,” Cadmus said. “The web was just coming up, and it took forever to load a page.”
Despite the challenge posed by shifting technology, Cadmus said she enjoys the challenge.
“I like coming to work and thinking, ‘Who knows what’s going to happen today?’” Cadmus said.
Cadmus said she brings professional experience and a vision that aims to embrace research to the 120-year old Law School Library. Her goals, she said, are to serve the scholarly interests of faculty and students and place the Cornell Law School Library on the global map.
The Cornell Law School Library has already taken steps to increase its presence on the web, according to its website.
For instance, the library has added an online library catalogue and a blog to keep students up to date on library news, exhibits, resources and events.
Another change to come is the Law school, including the library, is set to undergo renovations soon.
“This will give us the opportunity to re-imagine library space,” Cadmus said.
Original Author: Danielle Sochaczevski