Lorcan Dempsey, known globally as a thought leader and strategist for libraries, has announced his plans to retire at the end of April as OCLC's Vice President for Research and Membership, and Chief Strategist.
Dempsey has served OCLC and its member libraries for over 20 years. During his tenure, he has overseen remarkable growth in the scope of OCLC Research activity, as well as the unification of member relations, WebJunction, and research in the OCLC Membership and Research Division.
Notable achievements during Dempsey's tenure include the expansion of membership engagement to include a more diverse range of libraries, incorporation of the Research Libraries Group (RLG) into OCLC Research to become the Research Library Partnership, and inclusion of the WebJunction learning platform for public libraries. Dempsey has also provided leadership for OCLC's membership activities, including management of the organization's shared governance structure (Regional/Global Councils). Most recently, partnering with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Battelle, his team continues to publish valuable research through the REALM project to help archives, libraries, and museums follow best practices to operate during the pandemic.
During his distinguished career at OCLC, Dempsey shaped a research agenda that influenced both product directions and the library profession. OCLC Research has done fundamental work to help shape the library conversation on linked data, research support, special collections, public library funding, and user studies. He is credited with introducing key concepts and frameworks to help explain the evolution of library collections and services in the networked era, including "collective collections," the "inside-out library," and "workflow is the new content," among others. His writings, blogging, and presentations during this time have been a major influence on library conversations.
In the months ahead, Dempsey will work with the OCLC leadership team and partners to ensure a successful transition. He will also work with OCLC in a consulting relationship in the future.
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