John Danneker named Western's new dean of Libraries
BELLINGHAM, WA, June 20, 2023 — John Danneker has been selected as the new dean of Libraries at Western Washington University, WWU Provost Brad Johnson announced today.
Danneker comes to Western from the University of Washington, where he is currently serving as the director of Learning Services for UW Libraries and the director of the Odegaard Undergraduate Library. He will start his new role at Western on Aug. 21.
Johnson thanked both interim dean of Libraries Madeline Kelly and former dean of Libraries Mark Greenberg for their service to the Western community.
“I extend my most sincere gratitude to both Madeline and Mark for their leadership,” he said. “The Western Libraries and all its stakeholder groups, from the students to the faculty and staff, are better placed for success because of their hard work.”
Johnson said Danneker brings not only professional expertise and top-notch credentials but also an impressive list of service activities both within and beyond the UW Libraries.
“I look forward to working with John and seeing the vision for the Western Libraries that he articulated so thoughtfully in the search process be brought to fruition,” Johnson said.
Danneker earned his bachelor’s degree in Music History at Bucknell University, a master’s degree in Musicology from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and a master’s degree in Library and Information Science from The Catholic University of America. Before joining the staff at the UW, Danneker held a series of positions at The George Washington University, including director of the Eckles Memorial Library.
Danneker said he was excited to join the WWU community.
"I'm looking forward to working with our personnel and the campus to build on the excellence of the Libraries as a critical partner in Western's teaching and research missions, a provider and steward of collections in multiple formats and services in multiple modalities, and an innovator in learning spaces and programming," he said. "I was drawn to Western as a campus that situates students and their success at its heart, and does so with constant attention to living out ADEI values through action."
To learn more about the Western Libraries, go to https://library.wwu.edu/.
About Western Washington University
Western Washington University offers more than 200 academic programs on its main campus located in Bellingham, and at additional sites in Anacortes, Bremerton, Everett, Port Angeles and Poulsbo. Western is recognized nationally for its successes, from being named the top master’s-granting institution in the Pacific Northwest for 23 years in a row by U.S. News & World Report, which also named WWU as the of the best public schools in the West for veterans, to its recognition as one of the most sustainable, green campuses in the nation by the Sierra Club. Western is also known for being a top producer of prestigious National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Hollings Scholars, Fulbright Scholars, and Peace Corps volunteers, and nationally ranked for graduates who go on to earn research doctorates. The Chronicle of Higher Education’s Academic Workplace report named Western as one of the best colleges in the nation to work for, winning honors in two categories: teaching environment and tenure clarity and process