Interim Dean of IUPUI University Library Kristi Palmer is all about connecting people to information, whether it's scholars to research, students to texts, or visitors to library resources.
"My favorite thing about IUPUI is our community connectedness. We've really embraced that at University Library, and it's why I have stayed at IUPUI as long as I have," she says.
Palmer first became connected to IUPUI as a graduate student of library science, then assistant and associate librarian, followed by Associate Dean for Digital Scholarship and now Interim Dean of University Library. For 17 years — 15 of which she has served on the IUPUI faculty — Palmer has been a dedicated member of the campus community, and since her days in graduate school, she's become a trusted expert on the library's team, especially in the area of digital scholarship.
"IUPUI has been a welcome constant in my educational and professional life for 17 years," Palmer said. "I'm privileged to be part of a University Library staff that is committed and driven to fulfill our mission to inform, connect, and transform the IUPUI and Indianapolis community."
Palmer certainly shares in that commitment. As Associate Dean of Digital Scholarship, she led the development and implementation of the library's digital scholarship strategy, which supports the creation, digitization, and preservation of scholarly, historical, and cultural content. As Director of the Center for Digital Scholarship Palmer and colleague Jennifer Johnson secured grant funding to support trailblazing 3D scanned collections with community partners Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum and Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site. As Interim Dean, Palmer will provide important experience and leadership during a period of transition for University Library, guiding the strategic direction, mission and operations.
Palmer was honored with the Indianapolis Business Journal's "Forty Under 40" award in 2016. That same year, she collaborated with fellow librarians, Ted Polley and Caitlin Pollack, on a National Endowment for the Humanities contest called the "Chronicling America Data Challenge." The University Library project, "Chronicling Hoosier," focused on tracing the origins of the word, won third place in the nationwide competition. In 2009, Palmer was named a Library Journal Mover and Shaker. In addition, Palmer is the lead innovator on the IUPUI Welcoming Campus project Window's to IUPUI's Past, Present and Future, which will visually depict how our campus has evolved over the past 50 years.
