Leslie O’Brien, director of collections and technical services and assistant professor at Virginia Tech University Libraries, has been named assistant professor emerita by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.
The title of emerita may be awarded by Virginia Tech President Tim Sands to professors, associate professors and administrative officers who have been specially recommended to the board in recognition of exemplary service to the university. Candidates accepted by the board will receive a copy of the decision and a certificate of appreciation.
A member of the Virginia Tech community since 1991, O’Brien has made many contributions to the University Libraries and the University’s role as Director of Collections and Technical Services, acquiring and licensing collections for the University community. Research, teaching and learning. She also developed Virginia Tech’s collaborative licensing agreements, such as VIVA: Virtual Library of Virginia, and through her work with other Virginia institutions to exchange collections and assemble contracts.
O’Brien also managed the transfer of collections from on-site storage to the Library Services Center outside of the University Libraries; She has worked with vendors, liaisons and library teams to improve library work processes using multi-system migration management to balance user needs with library staff needs. She worked to strengthen electronic access to the library’s materials. And she expanded publishing opportunities for open access publications by participating in open access cooperatives, investing in publishers’ memberships that reduce writing processing fees for Virginia Tech authors, and supporting the Libraries’ Open Access Subvention Fund.
Over her career, O’Brien has authored or co-authored more than 19 journal articles, book chapters, publications, reports, published conference papers and presentations, conference presentations, and poster sessions. Active in professional organizations, she holds leadership positions in the American Library Association, the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services, and the Virginia Library Association.
In the year In 2006, she received the University Library Faculty Service Recognition Award.
O’Brien received her bachelor’s degree from Dickinson College and her master’s in library science from the University of Maryland.
