Library Leadership Panel

Nate Hill

Nate Hill is a librarian, artist, and aspiring ecologist. He’s the Executive Director of the Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO), a library network which serves as the institutional home for projects like the Archipelago Commons, the Digital Equity Research Center, the Library Field, as well as many others. In the past, Nate has worked at the Brooklyn Public Library (NY), San Jose Public Library (CA), and Chattanooga Public Library (TN). Nate was a past affiliate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, is currently a fellow with Library Futures at New York University’s Engelberg Center, and was a past participant in the International Network of Emerging Library Innovators (INELI) with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Nate studied art as an undergraduate at Skidmore College, and got his Masters degree in Library and Information Science at Pratt Institute. Nate is at his happiest when he’s making, building, or contributing to new things, whether those things are sculptures, gardens, communities, or organizations.

Liz Jolly

Liz Jolly has been Chief Librarian at the British Library since September 2018. She is responsible for teams delivering core activities such as collection management and development; services for researchers, learners, businesses and entrepreneurs; research strategy and digital scholarship; reading room services, interlibrary loan and document delivery and the Library’s online presence.

Liz has over thirty years’ experience in a variety of institutions in the university sector, most recently as Director of Student and Library Services at Teesside University. An Honorary Professor at Teesside, Liz is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Fellow both of the RSA and of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP).  She is a past Chair of SCONUL (the UK university and national library directors’ group) and is currently a Governor at the University of Portsmouth and a Trustee of CILIP and of SCONUL. Current memberships include the SCONUL Future of Libraries Project Board, the British Academy Heritage Committee and the Editorial Board of the New Review of Academic Librarianship.

Kepi Madumo

Mr. Kepi Madumo is the National Librarian and CEO of the National Library of South Africa since 2019. With over two decades of experience, he has held numerous senior leadership positions, including Director of Provincial Library, Information and Archives Services in the North West Province, and Director of Information Management in the National Department of Social Development. Kepi has also served as a Strategic Executive Director for the City of Tshwane (Pretoria) and Executive Director for the City of Johannesburg’s Department of Community Development. He holds a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Studies from the University of Cape Town and has completed prestigious executive leadership programs. Kepi has actively contributed to professional associations, including the South African Library and Information Association (LIASA) and the African Library & Information Institutions & Associations (AFLIA). He is recognised for his expertise and currently serves as the Chairperson of the AFLIA National Libraries Section also a Member of the IFLA National Libraries Section. He is an immediate past Chairperson of the Standing Conference of African National and University Librarians-Eastern, Central & Southern (SCANUL-ECS). 

Philip Kent

Philip G Kent is University Librarian at the University of Sydney. Following an extensive career in Australian and UK universities and Australia’s national science agency, Philip joined The University of Sydney in 2020. He has served as University Librarian at four institutions. His broader experience includes cultural collections, information technology, knowledge and information management, archives and records management, risk and audit roles.

Philip has extensive experience in new Library projects in Australian universities and Bristol, UK. From 2023, he chairs the Standing Committee of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) Library Buildings and Equipment Section. Library history is another area of professional interest.

Philip’s professional activities have included:  Director, CAVAL Ltd, chairing the Council of Australian University Librarians’ procurement consortium, and the Group of Eight (Go8) Librarians. He was a member of the judging panel for the SCONUL Library Design Awards (UK) in 2019 and serves on the ALIA Library Design Awards panel. Philip is a member of the Editorial Board and reviewer for the Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association (JALIA). He served on the arXiv Members Advisory Board at Cornell University from 2012-2016 and 2020-2023.