Claudia Martin-Konle heads the university library

Since the beginning of the new year, the University Library has a new library director. Claudia Martin-Konle succeeds Dr. Axel Halle, who led the UB Kassel for more than 19 years.

With the management of the UB, she is taking over a thoroughly well-stocked field. A lot has happened under the leadership of her predecessor in the areas of digitization, modern service orientation and technological change. However, the passing on of the baton is taking place at full speed. Three major construction sites currently need to be attended to. On the one hand, preparations are underway for the final third of the renovation of the campus library at Holländischer Platz, while on the other hand, the renovation of the head building at the Murhard Library on Brüder-Grimm-Platz is on the agenda, as is the interior work for the new annex. And the art college library is also awaiting the completion and reopening of its expanded premises.

The new director's package of tasks also includes the further development of digitization in the area of historical heritage, the demand-oriented provision of new digital media, and the promotion of open access publishing.  In times of scarce resources, the continuous improvement of services and information infrastructure, which, as everywhere else, must be measured against the growing demands of the digital era, represents an enormous challenge.

Last but not least, the corona-related restrictions on use and the library's closure, already the second, bring with them complex issues that will continue to be solved in a service-oriented manner in 2021.  "I am very much looking forward to this new task," says Claudia Martin-Konle. "To further develop the UB Kassel with its broad portfolio in a digital and customer-friendly way, but also to complete the renovations quickly in order to be able to shine again in the cultural landscape of Kassel, that's what I will work for."

Claudia Martin-Konle brings with her many years of experience at major libraries. Most recently, the German studies graduate was head of the user department at the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz (Berlin State Library - Prussian Cultural Heritage) and before that library director at the UB Gießen. Against the background of her work as head of the user department in Berlin, she also stands for continuity and innovation as the new director of the UB Kassel, especially in the area of service orientation and user friendliness.

Information:

Claudia Martin-Konle
Kassel University Library
Senior Library Director
Tel.: +49 561 804-2117
E-mail: direktion[at]bibliothek.uni-kassel[dot]de

Sibylle Kammler
Kassel University Library
Press and Public Relations
Phone +49 561 804-2839
Mail: oeffentlichkeitsarbeit[at]bibliothek.uni-kassel[dot]de