University Library System announces new director

Kornelia Tancheva, associate university librarian for research and learning services at Cornell University Library, will be Pitt’s Hillman University Librarian and director of the University Library System (ULS) effective May 1, 2017. 

Tancheva, whose association with Cornell University dates back to 1993, holds a PhD in American drama and theatre from Cornell, as well as three master’s degrees—one in library science from Syracuse University, one in history and theory of drama and theatre from Cornell, and one in English language and literature from Sofia University in Bulgaria.

Her career has included planning and implementing a number of key projects and initiatives, including partnership programs within Cornell and beyond.

“I am delighted that Dr. Tancheva has agreed to serve in this new role,” said Pitt Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor Patricia E. Beeson. “Her vision for the ULS is well matched with our aspiration for the library and the University. With demonstrated leadership experience in overseeing a large and complex organization as it navigates the rapidly changing information landscape, she is committed to guiding the ULS to new levels of excellence.”

Prior to her present position, Tancheva served as director of Cornell’s John M. Olin and Uris Libraries, which provide research materials in the humanities and social sciences. She also supervised Cornell’s Library Annex, an environmentally controlled storage facility. As an adjunct visiting instructor at Sofia University, she teaches a master’s course on “Drama and Theatre in the Age of the Internet.” She also has been on the faculty at Cornell and Binghamton University, State University of New York. Fluent in three languages, she is heavily involved in research, is widely published, and has presented on both library- and theater-related topics at conferences around the globe. An avid gardener and hiker, she enjoys traveling to unusual places.

“I am very excited about the opportunity to build upon the considerable strengths and achievements of the library system and charter its future in the rapidly changing environment of higher education for the benefit of the University and our local and global users,” said Tancheva. 

She will succeed Fern Brody, who has been acting as interim director of ULS since the retirement of former director Rush Miller in December 2014. 

Pitt’s University Library System is the 25th-largest academic library system in North America. Under the administration of the Hillman University Librarian and director, it includes 12 libraries and holds more than 7.1 million volumes, specialized collections, and major foreign-language materials from around the world. ULS offers state-of-the-art facilities and services, including digital library collections and services, a robust Open Access publishing program, and innovative services supporting digital scholarship.