A Farewell to the Newberry from Daniel Greene

Friends of the Newberry:

At the end of March, I will be leaving the Newberry Library. I am immensely proud of all the library has accomplished since I became President and Librarian in 2019. Our staff expanded our exhibitions program, launched a new website with greatly enhanced access to digital collections, grew the library’s world-class collection, and established the annual Pattis Family Foundation Chicago Book Award at the Newberry Library. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives have been a focus for staff and Trustees alike. We’ve made our building more accessible, added more underrepresented voices to our collection, and collaborated with Native communities to expand access to Indigenous studies collections, among other projects.

Though the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the vast majority of my time at the Newberry, it did not slow our work or lessen our commitment to all who use the Newberry. We quickly began to provide virtual programs and classes and were rewarded with a spike in engagement. Newberry staff successfully navigated the challenges of serving library users remotely, and usage of our digital tools and collections grew at truly remarkable rates. Due to our staff's hard work and dedication, the Newberry has done much more than endure the worst of the pandemic—we've thrived.

We have been able to accomplish all of this thanks to the generosity of donors like you. We’ve had impressive fundraising results each year during my tenure, including setting new records for our Annual Fund giving. I have been heartened time and time again by the outpouring of support from all corners of the Newberry—readers, exhibition and program attendees, volunteers, students, teachers, and scholars. There is a deep sense of community at the Newberry, and it has been an honor to serve all of you in my role as President.

I am leaving the Newberry to work with the US Holocaust Memorial Museum on a number of projects in the field of Holocaust education. But I will not be leaving the Newberry, or Chicago, behind. The library has been an intellectual home for me since I first arrived in 1998 as a graduate student research assistant for the Encyclopedia of Chicago project. I look forward to continuing my relationship with the Newberry as a scholar, program attendee, and frequent visitor. I have found much to love about the Newberry in the past 25 years, and I am excited to see how the organization continues to flourish.

Thank you for your support of the Newberry.

Sincerely,

Daniel Greene
President and Librarian

As the Newberry conducts a national search to fill the presidency, Gail Kern Paster, former Director of the Folger Shakespeare Library and current Newberry Trustee, will step into the role of interim President and Librarian. Read our press release to learn more.