Rosalyn Metz is a transformative leader in library and museum technology, currently serving as the Associate University Librarian for Digital Strategies and Chief Technology Officer for Emory University’s Libraries and Museum. In this role, she spearheads the development and execution of innovative technological initiatives designed to amplify research, teaching, and public engagement across Emory’s diverse academic and cultural institutions. She oversees a $4.5 million annual budget and leads a team of 26 professionals, bringing a bold vision to digital strategy, infrastructure, and service delivery. Her leadership has guided Emory through major technology transformations, including the adoption of open-source discovery systems, the implementation of cloud infrastructure, and the cultivation of a culture that values collaboration, trust, and long-term sustainability.
Rosalyn’s path to this role has been marked by progressive leadership and a consistent focus on impact. Before her current role, Rosalyn held progressive leadership positions at Emory from 2016 to 2023, including Associate Dean and Director of Library Technology and Digital Strategies, where she doubled the size of the technology division and oversaw a user-centered overhaul of the university’s discovery services.
Rosalyn’s career includes positions at Stanford University Libraries, where she shaped the direction of digital preservation; The George Washington University, where she led digital project management initiatives; and Wheaton College, where she introduced major cost-saving and pedagogical innovations. Beyond academia, she gained industry experience as a project manager at Viget Labs, overseeing large-scale digital initiatives for a diverse array of clients, and as a software trainer for Ex Libris (now a part of Clarivate), where she built a foundation in vendor and technology ecosystems that continue to inform her work today.
Equally committed to the broader cultural heritage and open infrastructure community, Rosalyn is an influential voice in national and international efforts to build sustainable, transparent, and equitable digital systems. She has held leadership roles across a number of open-source initiatives: serving as Chair of the Fedora Governance Group, Chair of the Samvera Board, and co-authoring governance and financial models that have shaped community-driven development. She is a member of the Editorial Board of the Oxford Common File Layout (OCFL), an application-independent standard for storing digital content in predictable and enduring ways, now widely adopted across repositories. She has also been actively engaged in the Academic Preservation Trust, the American Library Association’s Core division, and multiple cross-institutional collaborations supported by grants from the Mellon Foundation, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and others.
Rosalyn’s expertise extends beyond technology into thought leadership and community building. She is the author of The Digital Shift, a Substack where she explores the intersections of open infrastructure, technology, and leadership in higher education and the cultural heritage ecosystem. Through a blend of commentary, analysis, and conversation with peers, she challenges the field to think critically about how today’s decisions shape tomorrow’s knowledge landscape. She is also a frequent consultant, helping libraries, archives, and higher education organizations navigate complex technology choices, implement open-source solutions, and foster cultures of trust, equity, and collaboration.
Her contributions to scholarship and professional practice include a handful of peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. However, she is most known for her frequent conference presentations and is a sought-after keynote speaker. Her presentations address local and international audiences on topics ranging from the role of AI in library systems to the importance of trustworthy digital repositories and community-driven governance.
At the heart of Rosalyn’s work is a philosophy of leadership grounded in empathy, justice, and long-term stewardship. She believes that strong infrastructure, whether technical, organizational, or cultural, emerges from listening deeply, leading with integrity, and building for resilience. Her joy comes from solving complex problems, connecting people in meaningful ways, and ensuring that the systems we build today enable a more open, inclusive, and sustainable future.
Rosalyn holds an M.L.I.S. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a B.A. in Political Science from The George Washington University. She has also been a certified ScrumMaster, is a graduate of the EDUCAUSE Executive Leaders Academy, and has been a member of the UCLA Library Senior Fellows.