Sarah E. Thomas

Sarah E. Thomas has headed three major research libraries –Cornell, Harvard, and the University of Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries—and has held senior administrative positions at the Library of Congress, the National Agricultural Library, and the Research Libraries Group. Her expertise in technical services, digital libraries, and leading libraries through change has found expression in publications and presentations over several decades.

Thomas has received numerous awards and honors throughout her career, including election to the American Philosophical Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is the recipient of the Melvil Dewey Award from the American Library Association, the Smith College Medal, and the Alumni Achievement award from Simmons College (now Simmons University). Thomas holds a BA from Smith College, a MS in Library Science from Simmons, and a Ph.D. in German literature from Johns Hopkins University.

Thomas currently serves on the boards of OCLC, the Natural History Museum (London), Historic Deerfield, the Sheridan Libraries Advisory Board (Johns Hopkins) and the Voltaire Foundation (Oxford). In addition, she advises organizations on digital initiatives, collections strategies, library design, and managing change.