Courtney Chartier, director of Columbia Libraries’ Rare Book & Manuscript Library, will lead the NYMS on a tour of the Rare Book  Manuscript Library, where she will highlight some key pieces from the collection.

Previously, Chartier was the head of Research Services at the Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives & Rare Book Library at Emory University, where she provided strategic oversight for the reference, instruction, and outreach programs. Chartier’s background is as an archivist; she currently serves as President of the Society of American Archivists. “That gives me a good perspective for this work,” she said. “I see the full scope of stewardship, from when an item travels from the creator’s hands, to the curator’s, to the archivist’s, and then to the user’s. All of those stages are a part of the same process, and can’t operate in balance without the others. That’s what is always on my mind, and what I hope will make me successful at RBML.”