Vice Provost and University Librarian Ann D. Thornton has announced the appointment of Teresa (Teri) Harris as Director of Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library. Harris will assume the Director role on August 1, overseeing all aspects of Avery’s operations, including collection development, research services, access services, art properties, digitization and exhibition loan programs, facilities management, and the Avery Index.
Harris first joined Avery Library in 2015 as curator for the Avery Classics rare books collections. Since 2022, she has served as the Head of Avery Classics, Drawings & Archives, leading collection development, stewardship, and research services for Avery’s renowned and expansive rare books, architectural drawings, and architecture archives. In these roles, Harris has broadened the materials collected in Avery Classics, expanded the geographical reach of Avery’s holdings, and managed crucial digitization efforts to increase access for researchers across the globe.
“I am so excited to be working with Teri as the new Director of Avery Library,” said Christopher Cronin, Associate University Librarian for Collections. “Throughout her tenure at Avery, Teri has built a robust network of collaborative relationships with faculty, students, and staff. Teri’s leadership will further galvanize Avery’s distinguished role in supporting the scholarly community at Columbia and beyond.”
Harris received a Master’s and a Ph.D. in Art History from Columbia University, and a B.A. in Art History from Williams College. Prior to her work at Avery Library, Harris served as Project Coordinator for the Marcel Breuer Digital Archive at Syracuse University Library’s Special Collections Research Center, where she managed the digitization, metadata production, public interface development, and instructional program for the archive.
“I am thrilled to be stepping into this leadership role at a library that has had such an important place in my life, both as a graduate student where I first encountered its unparalleled collections, and as a curator,” said Harris. “Building on its already distinctive strengths, I look forward to working in concert with faculty, students, and Avery’s exceptional staff to lead Avery into a future that rises to the challenges of an ever-evolving scholarly landscape.”
Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library is one of the world’s foremost repositories supporting professional and academic programs in architecture, urban planning and design, historic preservation, art history, and archaeology. Avery’s collections and research services form a complementary and comprehensive resource to a global community of students and scholars from across all disciplines.