Chris Burns named Director of Special Collections

Chris comes to Middlebury from McGill University where he has served as Director, Rare Books and Special Collections. At McGill, Chris has focused on exhibition programming, archival arrangement and description workflows, research travel grants, and fundraising to support acquisitions, conservation, and the department’s Book Arts Lab.

Prior to that, Chris worked at the Silver Special Collections Library at the University of Vermont where he held the positions of Curator of Manuscripts, University Archivist, and Interim Director. During his time at the University of Vermont, he led the growth of its digital collections program, modernized archival collection management systems and practices, and established an innovative archival fellowship program for educators.

Chris received his MLIS from Simmons University and a MA in History from the University of Vermont. He is a former President of the University of Vermont Faculty Senate and has held several leadership positions in the Society of American Archivists. He has a lengthy record of presentations and publications and has served as principal investigator on a number of grants, including a $2.5 million award from the United States Senate to arrange and describe the papers of Senator Patrick J. Leahy.

Chris is excited to be living in Vermont full-time again and can’t wait to get to know the Middlebury community better. Chris enjoys skiing, gardening, and spending time with his family, including their golden retriever, Lucy.