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May 13, 2026
Charles Deering McCormick University Librarian and Dean of Libraries Xuemao Wang will step down at the end of the 2026-27 academic year, Provost Kathleen Hagerty announced today. Wang has served in the role since 2022.
As Libraries dean, Wang leads more than 170 faculty and staff, and administers the University Library, Deering Library, Seeley G. Mudd Library and the Oak Grove Library Center in Waukegan. He also oversees the Northwestern University Press and manages shared services with the law, medical and Northwestern Qatar libraries.
Wang provided strategic vision and leadership during a time of transition as libraries around the world emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic and grappled with an evolution from traditional services and collections to increasingly digital hubs of knowledge and information. He also oversaw the renovation of the iconic Deering Library, enhanced Libraries support for AI-enabled digital scholarship, increased access to special collections through digitization, restructured a large publisher contract to address budget constraints, launched the Northwestern Data Library in support of research data services, and exceeded philanthropic goals dedicated to facilities, endowments and digital initiatives.
“I have been proud and honored to lead Northwestern’s libraries and press,” Wang said. “While I will step away next summer, my focus remains on our dedicated librarian faculty and staff, and all that we will accomplish together over the coming year in support of Northwestern’s community of remarkable scholars.”
The University will launch a search for Wang’s successor at a later date, Hagerty said.
“Whether through the establishment of grant-funded digital learning projects or partnerships across national organizations, Xuemao Wang has helped enhance Northwestern’s national visibility and reputation as an academic leader,” Hagerty said. “We appreciate his contributions as the University Libraries and Press continue their ascent through his final year as dean.”
Funded entirely through philanthropic gifts raised by Wang and his predecessor, Sarah Pritchard, the 2024-25 Deering Library renovation comprised improvements to the interior and basic infrastructure of the building, including prominent reading rooms and improved accessibility for visitors. The renewed Deering Library supports Wang’s priority of enabling libraries to become an intellectual and community center of the University.
Under Wang’s leadership, the University Libraries strengthened its role in undergraduate and graduate education through the newly created Undergraduate Archival Research Prize, expanded course-integrated instruction using special collections/archives, new partnerships and collaboration with academic units through digital scholarship programs, continuation of the Graduate Library Orientation and Welcome program, Wildcat Welcome and first-year engagement activities, and exam relief and wellness initiatives reaching thousands of students annually.
“University libraries are as relevant now as they have ever been — not in spite of technological change but because of it,” Interim President and President Emeritus Henry Bienen said. “Xuemao Wang’s leadership within our community and through national partnerships has helped ensure Northwestern’s libraries will remain vital centers of learning, discovery, collaboration and growth for future generations of scholars.”
During his tenure, Wang has maintained leadership roles on the OCLC Board of Trustees, the HathiTrust Board (through 2024), the Chicago Collections Consortium Board and leadership bodies within the Association of Research Libraries, the Big Ten Academic Alliance and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. He also has contributed authorship and editorial leadership for international scholarly publications and has been a regular speaker at international conferences.
Before coming to Northwestern, Wang led the University of Cincinnati library system, serving as dean of libraries and university librarian and vice provost of digital scholarship. He also served in library leadership roles with Emory University and Johns Hopkins University.
