The Center for Research Libraries (CRL) is pleased to announce the 2026-2027 Steering Subcommittee Officers for its nine Global Collections Committee. Elected by their peers, these volunteer leaders will help guide committee activities, support collaborative decision-making, and provide strategic leadership for CRL's global collections initiatives. The GCCs are open to all members and actively advise on and participate in the collaborative effort of collection building, licensing, and stewarding at CRL per their focus areas and by contributing to larger conversations around work supporting CRL collections and membership.
African Studies Collections Committee
- Chair: Chenjerai Mabhiza at Michigan State University
- Vice-Chair: Omobolaji Olarinmoye at Yale University
- Immediate Past Chair: Yuusuf Caruso at Columbia University
- Secretary: Salah Seoudi at Penn State University
East Asia Collections Committee
- Chair: Lou Zhou at Duke University
- Vice-Chair: Veronica Fu at University of Notre Dame
- Secretary: Hana Kim at University of Toronto
French Language Collections Committee
- Chair: Lidia Santarelli at New York University
- Vice-Chair: Manuel Ostos at Penn State University
- Immediate Past Chair: Claude Potts at University of California Berkeley
- Secretary: Emily O'Brock at University of Chicago
German Language Collections Committee
- Chair: Walter Schlect at Washington University at St. Louis
- Vice-Chair: Tara Murray Grove at Penn State University
- Immediate Past Chair: Brian Vetruba at University of Minnesota
- Secretary: Deb Raftus at University of Washington
Latin American Collections Committee
- Chair: Kathia Ibacache at the University of Colorado Boulder
- Vice-Chair: Jennifer Schaefer at University of Connecticut
- Immediate Past Chair: Seonaid Valiant at the Arizona State University
- Secretary: Paloma Barraza at University of Minnesota
Slavic and Eastern European Collections Committee
- Chair: Breandan Nieubuurt at University of Michigan
- Vice-Chair: Ksenya Kiebuzinski at University of Toronto
- Secretary: Open until filled
South Asia Collections Committee
- Chair: Aruna Magier at New York University
- Vice-Chair: Gary Hausman at Columbia University
- Immediate Past Chair: Zoë McLaughlin at Michigan State University
- Secretary: Brent Bianchi at Yale University
Southeast Asia Collections Committee
- Chair: Jade Alburo at University of California, Los Angeles
- Vice-Chair: Jeffrey Petersen at Cornell University
- Immediate Past Chair: Zoë McLaughlin at Michigan State University
- Secretary: Brent Bianchi at Yale University
West Asia and North Africa Collections Committee
- Chair: Guy Burak at New York University
- Vice-Chair: Lale Javenshir at University of Toronto
- Secretary: Deborah Schlein at Princeton University
These officers will provide strategic leadership for CRL's Global Collections Committees by facilitating committee activities, supporting collaborative decision-making, and helping steward shared investments in global collections that benefit the broader research community.
CRL is grateful for the willingness of these new and returning leaders to serve and look forward to another year of collaborative work to strengthen and expand access to global collections.
As we welcome the 2026–2027 leadership, we also extend our sincere appreciation to our outgoing Steering Subcommittee officers:
- Sarah Buck Kachaluba, University of California San Diego, Immediate Past Chair, Latin American Collections Committee (2025–2026)
- Susan Go, University of Michigan, Immediate Past Chair, Southeast Asia Collections Committee (2025–2026)
Their leadership, thoughtful guidance, and dedication during the inaugural year of the Global Collections Committee Program helped establish a strong foundation for the program's continued success. We thank them for their many contributions to CRL and the global collections community.
Interested in participating? CRL welcomes additional member volunteers for the Global Collections Committees and looks forward to another year of collaborative work in support of global scholarship.