On July 22, 2022, Bart Ragon, Ed.D., MLIS, Director of the Health Sciences Library, announced that Dan Wilson, MLS, would assume the newly-created role of Deputy Director.
Sharing news of the creation of the new organizational structure (one meant to empower the Library in successfully supporting UVA Health’s emerging strategic plan), Ragon explained that the new position would free him to focus on meeting with external stakeholders and working to integrate Library operations into emerging health system priorities. While Wilson will assume similar responsibilities related to enacting the Library’s part in the health system’s strategic initiatives, his day-to-day work will also largely focus on internal operations.
In the announcement to Library employees, Ragon cited Wilson’s long history with the Library- he began working at HSL in 1992, as the Assistant Director for Access Services, eventually becoming the Associate Director for Collections & Library Services- as well as his status as a nationally-recognized expert in emergency preparedness for libraries. Wilson co-authored a book on the topic and has worked with the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) for the past 15 years, helping all types of libraries to both better prepare for disasters and better partner with emergency planners. His work and familiarity with the NNLM offer the Library the opportunity to expand the Library’s contributions to NNLM’s many outreach efforts.
Wilson is very excited about the opportunity to make a greater impact for UVA Health. He states that he “…values listening and is committed to giving everyone a voice, a feeling of belonging, and the tools needed to have a rewarding career.” Those qualities will serve him well as Wilson assumes supervisory responsibility for a significant number of additional employees under the new reporting structure. Relatedly, Wilson will prioritize creating a more team-based model among the liaisons and other members of his department. He also looks forward to raising the Library’s brand recognition among peer libraries and to helping HSL become one of the best health sciences libraries in the country.
If you have questions for Dan, please reach out to him: DanWilson@virginia.edu