Archivist of the United States Names William Mayer as Executive for Research Services
Press Release · Monday, May 7, 2012

Washington, DC

Archivist of the United State David S. Ferriero announced today the appointment of William A. Mayer as Executive for Research Services for the National Archives and Records Administration, effective June 18, 2012.

In making the announcement, Archivist Ferriero said, “Bill Mayer is uniquely qualified to lead a nationwide team in delivering world-class services to customers wanting access to the National Archives' vast holdings of accessioned Federal records. He will direct a program that acquires, preserves, and makes historical records accessible at fifteen facilities across the country and on the archives.gov website. One of Mayer’s top priorities will be to build a systematic, ongoing program to identify and meet researcher customer needs through on-site and online services.”

Mayer brings to this assignment more than 20 years of experience working in dynamic research environments, most recently having served as the University Librarian at American University in Washington, DC. In this role, Mayer connected the University Library fully to the work of the university through strong leadership, innovative visions for today’s technology-driven research environments, and a passionate focus on the customer. While at American University, Mayer led his faculty and staff through a collaborative transformation that led to unprecedented achievements in customer satisfaction with the library’s research collections and services. With the mission statement of “We Enable Success” Mayer brought vision and energy to his work at American that resulted in the redesign of physical research spaces and new opportunities for both virtual and face-to-face service delivery.

Prior to his work at American University, Mayer served from 2001 to 2007 as the Associate University Librarian for Information Technology and Technical Services at George Washington University. He was directly responsible for the development, implementation, and integration of information technology services across the entire library system operation. He also served as an adjunct faculty member for the School of Library and Information Science at Catholic University.

Mayer’s library career began in 1990 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Libraries, and later moved to the Harvard Business School Library as access services manager. He came to DC in 1999 to serve as the systems librarian for public services for the Washington Research Library Consortium. Mayer is an international speaker and leader on the changing face of services in research organizations, management of organizational change, and innovative applications of technology in information systems. He was George Washington University’s first Frye Leadership Institute Scholar in 2005. He earned a BA in English Literature from the University of Washington and a MLS from Simmons College in Boston.

Prior to working in academic libraries, Mayer worked in a variety of occupations, including vineyard management, cattle ranching, and residential construction. His interests include ocean ecology, music, and next-generation learning systems.

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For more information, contact the National Archives Public Affairs staff at 202-357-5300.

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