Message from the University Librarian
It is with great pleasure that I inform the university community of the appointment of
Rey P. Racelis as Associate University Librarian.
This appointment, rather than adding new responsibilities to Rey, instead confirms the
indispensable work he has been rendering to the Pace University Library System where he
had served, prior to this promotion, as its Assistant University Librarian for Systems
Integration and its concurrent systems administrator for the library’s online system, the
Innopac/Webpac.
Rey has the unique experience of having worked both at the public and backend sides of
library operation, equally as a librarian and as a library administrator. He has worked as a
reference cum bibliographic instruction librarian, innopac systems administrator,
coordinator of projects for circulation and technical/cataloging services as well as
acquisitions and interlibrary loan, and had been at one time or another, involved with
collection development in subject areas such as education, computer science as well as
information systems. Rey belongs to that breed of library professionals who understand
and transact the business of librarianship both in its traditional sense as keeper and
organizer of knowledge and purveyor of research and in its newer role as an information
systems specialist heavily involved with electronically-based information access and
delivery, library computing and digital technology.
Having been involved with almost all facets of library operation in the course of his-- so
far-- 15 year tenure here at Pace, Rey will continue to monitor projects undertaken by the
library and devise ways to integrate them into the whole structure of library operations and
services. Likewise, he will continue to conduct feasibility studies on possible products and
services that will further the library’s agenda on new technology related initiatives. He
will be the library’s main liaison with present and possible future consortial partners
among other libraries and will continue in his advisory role in the library management
council on issues affecting the future direction of Pace Library System in the areas of
library technology, computing and information access.
In a self-description he wrote for the library staff listing in the library website many years
ago, he said about himself:
“If you have a question on Socrates or Jane Austen or would simply like to
discuss the Hanoverian line or the House of Windsor look for me at the reference
desk. If your problem is downloading data or getting connected to the Innopac
(Pace Online Catalog) you may have to look for me at a workstation in the library, best yet e-mail
me. I’m hooked. I’m wired. I’m virtually everywhere.”
I cannot think of a better way to describe Rey’s breadth of interests and the range of tasks
he has carried out in and for the interest of the library. This appointment affirms our
confidence that his wide-ranging experience in the varied functions of librarianship will
inform him in helping the library management council determine the appropriate
technology related direction the Pace University Library System should take.
Rey can be reached at: 212-346-1598 or at rracelis@pace.edu