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David Pavelich
Associate Dean for Collections and Acting Head of Special Collections
he / him / his
608-262-0621
As Associate Dean for Collections, I provide leadership for library collections as well as eleven departments and functional areas: the Department of Special Collections (rare books and manuscripts), Archives and Records Management, Kohler Art Library, Mills Music Library, Collections Strategy, Scholarly Communications, the Office of the Gender and Women's Studies Librarian, Shelving and Storage, Preservation, and Cataloging. I work broadly across disciplines, while the areas under my leadership have a significant focus on the humanities and the arts. I work to ensure that our collections meet the needs of our users and that our services are responsive, expert, and inclusive.
Office Location
Special Collections
Room 990E
976 Memorial Library
728 State St.
Madison, WI 53706
Find on the Campus Map
Room 990E
976 Memorial Library
728 State St.
Madison, WI 53706
Find on the Campus Map
More About David Pavelich
I have been with the University of Wisconsin-Madison since 2016, first as the Director of Special Collections and Archives, and now as Associate Dean for Collections. I began my career at the University of Chicago, where I was a reference and instruction librarian in the Special Collections Research Center and a bibliographer for modern poetry (2005-2010). After Chicago, I went to Duke University, where I was the Head of Research Services in the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library (2010-2016). I earned a bachelor's degree (in English) and master's degree in library and information studies here at UW-Madison, and a master's degree in English (poetics) from the University at Buffalo.
"From South-West Germany to the United States of America and Back: Repatriating the Album amicorum of Count Ludwig Eberhard von Hohenlohe-Pfedelbach," with Jennifer Meyer (State Archives of Baden-Württemberg), Rare Books and Manuscripts Conference, Yale University, June 27, 2025.
Panelist, Society of American Archivists Archives Management Section Panel Discussion, virtual, February 15, 2024.
“Shared Leadership in UW-Madison’s Special Collections and Archives Division.” On the panel, “New Leadership Models at Four Big Ten Special Collections Libraries.” Panel chair and speaker. Midwest Archives Conference, Madison, WI, May 7, 2022.
Integrating Library, Archives, and Special Collections into Creative Writing Pedagogy: An Experiential Symposium. Invited participant, facilitator, and speaker. University of Calgary [virtual]. May 18 and 19, 2021.