Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson has named Robert Hudson as the Municipality of Anchorage’s next library director.
Throughout his 18 year career in library work, teaching, and law, Hudson has served as a director, head librarian, lecturer, adjunct instructor/professor and lawyer, and has worked in academic, medical, and law libraries in the United States, Canada, and Qatar. He has an extensive background in SPSS, Westlaw, Lexis, EBSCO, and other specialty library databases.
“Robert is more than qualified to lead the Municipality of Anchorage’s libraries,” said Bronson. “I look forward to him working with my administration, the Anchorage Assembly, and the people of Anchorage to move our libraries into the future.”
Hudson’s degrees include a master of library and information science from the University of British Columbia, Canada, and a juris doctor from Valparaiso University School of Law, Valparaiso, Indiana. He has both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in history from CalPoly, Pomona and the University of California, Riverside, respectively. While working at Nova Southeastern University, he also completed an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Technology.
Hudson most recently was the research librarian for the Canadian Medical Protective Association. Before that he was associate university librarian at Athabasca University Library in Athabaska, Alberta, Canada; director of library services at Henderson-Wilder Library at Upper Iowa University; head librarian and assistant professor of law at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada; and librarian/lecturer at a university in Qatar.
Deputy Director Judy Eledge will continue to serve in her current role.
Bronson’s first choice for librarian was rejected by the Anchorage Assembly in August, because she did not have a library degree and because the Assembly sought to embarrass the mayor. Then Bronson named Eledge to the post, but she withdrew after a few weeks because she knew she would not be confirmed by the far-left Assembly. She didn’t have a library degree either. Eledge is now the deputy director of the library and City Manager Amy Demboski has been handling the duties of head librarian.
