Kevin Butterfield

Kevin Butterfield serves as University Librarian at the University of Richmond, where he provides strategic leadership for a highly resourced academic library system supporting undergraduate education, faculty research, and institutional priorities.

His work focuses on organizational design, digital transformation, and the evolving role of libraries within liberal arts institutions. He leads large-scale initiatives spanning library reorganization, cross-divisional partnerships, and a multi-phase renovation of Boatwright Memorial Library, guiding change with an emphasis on clarity, sustainability, and alignment with the university’s academic mission.

Kevin’s leadership is grounded in systems thinking and a belief that structure shapes culture. He prioritizes trust-based management, clear governance, and meaningful collaboration across academic affairs — particularly with faculty development, learning support, digital scholarship, and career readiness initiatives. His approach emphasizes long-term impact over performative change and values institutional coherence over short-term activity.

He is actively engaged in national conversations on digital transformation, AI literacy, and organizational strategy in higher education, drawing on both scholarship and practice to explore how mission-driven institutions can adapt thoughtfully to technological and cultural change.

Kevin reports to the Provost and works closely with senior academic leadership to position the library as a central partner in student success, experiential learning, and the future of the liberal arts.