Campus News
UCSC University Librarian Elizabeth Cowell to retire
Cowell has served in the UC Santa Cruz leadership for 17 years and more than 30 years in higher education. Associate University Librarian Kerry Scott will serve as Interim University Librarian beginning January 2026.
Dear Campus Community,
I am sharing the news that University Librarian Elizabeth Cowell has announced her plan to retire in January 2026, concluding 17 years of leadership to UC Santa Cruz and more than 30 years of service in higher education. Associate University Librarian Kerry Scott will serve as Interim University Librarian beginning January 2026.
Cowell joined UC Santa Cruz in 2008 as the Associate University Librarian for Public Services. She was appointed Interim University Librarian in 2013 and, after a nationwide search, selected as the University Librarian the following year. Under Cowell’s leadership, the UC Santa Cruz Library has been recognized for advancing its vital role in supporting research and promoting student success.
UC Santa Cruz in 2022 was invited to join the Association of Research Libraries, a prestigious membership organization comprising more than 120 libraries and archives that advocates for research libraries, fosters collaboration in higher education, and helps shape the future of library leadership.
Cowell has built support from generous donors to enhance the library. She served as the inaugural appointee to the Richard L. Press University Librarian Presidential Chair, established in 2015 by The Helen and Will Webster Foundation to provide permanent support for library archives and other activities.
She led the largest donor-funded capital project in campus history: the successful renovation of the Science and Engineering Library. The updated top and first floors honor Professor Emerita of Astronomy and Astrophysics Sandra Faber and astronaut, earth scientist, and alumna Kathryn Sullivan, respectively, and include collaborative spaces, flexible furnishings, compact shelving, and the Digital Scholarship Innovation Studio.
The University Library launched the Elisabeth Remak-Honnef Center for Archival Research and Training (CART) to train graduate fellows in archival work and exhibitions in 2014. Its debut project in 2014, Activism in the Archives, led to a $32 million archive gift, the largest in UC Santa Cruz history.
Kerry Scott, a longtime leader in the UC Santa Cruz Library, will serve as Interim University Librarian. Scott joined the campus in 2001 from the University of Arizona, Tucson, and has held numerous leadership positions, including head of Research Support Services. In 2016, she became the Associate University Librarian. Scott holds an M.A. in Library and Information Science from the University of Arizona, an M.A. in East Asian Studies from Washington University in St. Louis, and a B.A. in East Asian Studies from Beloit College. I look forward to working with Kerry.
Please join me in extending deep gratitude to Elizabeth for her remarkable contributions, vision, and leadership. The library is a hub for innovation in information discovery, knowledge creation, academic excellence and student success, which will benefit our campus for generations to come.
We wish her all the best in retirement, and we thank her for the lasting impact she has made on our university and community.
Sincerely,
Lori
Lori Kletzer
Campus Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor