Denise M. Davis, the director of the ALA Office for Research and Statistics (ORS) since 2004, has announced her resignation, effective October 1. She has accepted a position as deputy director of the Sacramento (Calif.) Public Library. In her new position, Denise will be responsible for assisting in the development and management of strategic initiatives for the library, including long-range budget planning.
In making the announcement to staff this morning, ALA Associate Executive Director Cathleen Bourdon said: “Denise has made outstanding contributions to ALA during her six years as the ORS director. She has managed a $6-million, six-year Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant to collect and analyze public library data on technology access, services, and funding; coordinated the biennial survey of academic libraries administered by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES); managed the ongoing demographic study of ALA membership; conducted research on changes in the public perception of the value of libraries; and coordinated and supported numerous ALA research activities. Denise is a dynamo and we’re going to miss her!”
Davis told American Libraries: “It has been a wonderful opportunity working at ALA, both in terms of the projects and the people. I arrived here filling very large shoes (Mary Jo Lynch’s) and feel fortunate that I was able to build upon Mary Jo’s great work and expand the capabilities of the office. There are so many aspects of my work that I will miss, yet I look forward to the wonderful challenges ahead in Sacramento.”