Engst named to direct rare and manuscript collections on campus

Associate University Librarian H. Thomas Hickerson recently announced the appointment of Elaine D. Engst as director of the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections (RMC), Cornell's principal rare book and manuscript program. Engst takes over the position previously held by Hickerson, who was appointed associate university librarian for information technology and special collections in November.

Engst previously was associate director of the division and has been the university archivist since 1995, a role that she will maintain in her new position. Prior to the formation of RMC in 1992, she served as assistant director of the New York Historical Resources Center and as technical services archivist in the Department of Manuscripts and University Archives. She earned an M.A. in history from Cornell in 1972 and joined the Cornell University Library staff in 1979.

Engst presently is directing an archival electronic research project at Cornell, which is sponsored by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. For her work in building an online statewide database describing the manuscript holdings of more than 1,100 New York repositories, she was awarded the C.W.F. Coker Prize by the Society of American Archivists (SAA) in 1991. She presently chairs SAA's Standards Committee, is a frequent speaker at professional meetings, has curated numerous exhibitions and authored articles, reviews and exhibition catalogs. In 1996, SAA honored her achievements and professional leadership by naming her a fellow of the society.