Amy Furness appointed Chief Librarian of Victoria University
Victoria University in the University of Toronto is pleased to announce that its new Chief Librarian will be Dr. Amy Furness, a highly accomplished leader with more than two decades of experience in librarianship, archival stewardship and academic engagement.
“Amy Furness is a respected scholar and educator, with an impressive publication and presentation record, and focus on student mentorship,” said Dr. Rhonda N. McEwen, president and vice-chancellor of Victoria University. “Her leadership has been marked by thoughtful change management, strategic vision, and a deep commitment to public and scholarly engagement. What really sets her apart is her ability to make libraries more accessible to broad audiences.”
Furness has worked at the Art Gallery of Ontario’s Edward P. Taylor Library & Archives since 2001. She has been Head of Library & Archives since 2016, leading the collection-building and access services of one of Canada’s foremost art research libraries. During that time, she led the transformation of AGO’s library into a dynamic and outward-facing research centre.
As the AGO’s Rosamond Ivey Special Collections Archivist, she also built and promoted significant archival collections, integrated them into major exhibitions, and supported a diverse community of researchers, curators, and artists.
Furness has an honours BA in art history and English from McMaster University, a Master of Studies degree in the history of art and visual culture from Oxford University and a Master of Information Studies degree from the University of Toronto Faculty of Information Studies.
She also has a PhD in Information from the UofT Faculty of Information where her research focused on visual artists’ archives.
Her professional service includes leadership roles with the Art Libraries Society of North America, the Association of Canadian Archivists, and the Collaborative Art Archive Initiative.
“Vic U is an amazing academic community right in the heart of a city that I love, and its libraries clearly play a well-established, central role in teaching, academic exchange and knowledge creation,” Furness said.
“I am excited about getting to know the student community in relation to their library. I have always had academic leanings and I have maintained a relationship for many years with the University of Toronto as an alumna of the Faculty of Information, including as a guest lecturer and practicum supervisor. I never want to stop learning.”
The Victoria University Library is made up of the E.J. Pratt Library, Emmanuel College Library and the Victoria University Archives.
The E.J. Pratt Library collection includes about 250,000 items — books, periodicals, documents, pamphlets and specialized materials — which support undergraduate studies at Victoria University.
The Emmanuel Library collection includes approximately 80,000 books, journals, and electronic and audio-visual materials in theology, Christianity, Islam and Buddhism, which support graduate studies at Emmanuel College.