Brian W. Keith, MLIS and MBA, is a professor and the dean of library services at Eastern Illinois University. Previously, he was associate dean and the university librarian at the University of Florida. Brian has envisioned and shaped libraries in terms of spaces, services, collections, and partnerships. He has an extensive record of professional accomplishment and national and international scholarship and service focusing on DEAIJ. He is a past recipient of the SirsiDynix—American Library Association & Allied Professional Association’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in Promoting Salaries and Status for Library Workers, and he was an Association of Research Libraries Leadership Fellow.

My experience is in leadership of collaborative teams of highly qualified professionals furthering teaching, learning, and research, and where our work is oriented to diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI).

My commitment to this work is reflected in experiences with diverse student and coworker populations, and in my professional, service, and scholarly record.

My work is based on a deep commitment to fairness, belonging, anti-oppression, and social justice, and core values like procedural, distributive, information, interactional, and contributive justice (please see below for more on these justice concepts).

My vision for academic libraries positions library personnel as research partners and co-educators, who acquire, create, disseminate, and preserve traditional and evolving forms of scholarship; where we connect students and faculty with resources at the point of need - anytime, anywhere; and create spaces, digital and physical, to inspire learning and instill a sense of belonging. This work is based on partnerships on the campus and beyond, and a workplace of professional growth, teamwork, inclusion, and fairness.