From: Trevor Young, Vice-President and Provost
Date: June 25, 2026
Re: Appointment of Constantia Constantinou as University Chief Librarian, University of Toronto Libraries (PDAD&C #52)

I am delighted to announce that the Agenda Committee of Academic Board has approved the appointment of Constantia Constantinou as University Chief Librarian, University of Toronto Libraries from September 1, 2026 to August 31, 2033, after an extensive international search.  

Constantia Constantinou currently serves as Executive Director of the Whiting Foundation. Previously, she was the Vice-Provost and Director of Libraries at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to that, she was the Dean of University Libraries at State University of New York at Stony Brook and SUNY Maritime College.   

Constantinou is a distinguished global leader on the integration of large university library systems and collaboration across libraries, museums, and universities. She is the co-author of International Librarianship: Developing Intercultural and Educational Leadership (SUNY Press, 2017). She publishes on information systems, library technology, digital access and preservation, as well as the role of the research libraries in promoting cross-cultural understanding. 

She has served in professional leadership roles including on the Board of Directors of the Association of Research Libraries; OCLC and the International Federation of Library Associations.   

She holds a BMus, an MA in Music Theory and an MLS from Queens College. She held a faculty rank of a distinguished librarian professor at the State University of New York; she is a Fulbright Scholar and a Distinguished Alumna from the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies at Queens College. 

I am grateful to the Advisory Committee for their commitment and determination over the course of this search, and to the current University Chief Librarian Larry Alford for serving additional time to facilitate this transition. The University of Toronto Libraries will benefit greatly from Constantia Constantinou’s global perspective, transformative leadership, and extensive experience in academic libraries.  

Please join me in congratulating Constantia Constantinou and welcoming her to the University of Toronto.