Governance

Members Govern HathiTrust

HathiTrust, as a co-managed and co-funded collaborative of academic and research libraries, relies on its members to govern its programmatic, financial, and strategic directions. Membership established the governance model in 2012 and comprises the Board of Governors and the Program Steering Committee, which operate under the HathiTrust Bylaws. In addition to the formal governing bodies, multiple working, advisory, and task-based groups further enable member libraries to participate in and guide the direction of HathiTrust. Official Member Representatives cast votes on behalf of their libraries during the annual budgeting and board election period and as other needs arise.

List of HathiTrust Member Libraries

Board of Governors

Elected by the membership and composed of a range of institutions, the Board positions the organization to advance the interests of member institutions and other cultural heritage organizations through its oversight. 

Current Members

• Gohar Ashoughian, Wilfrid Laurier University (2023-2025)
• Theresa Byrd, University of San Diego (2022-2024)
• Lisa Carter, University of Michigan (appointed)
• Diane Dallis-Comentale, Indiana University (appointed), Chair Elect
• Ping Fu, Whitman College (2024-2026)
• Mike Furlough (HathiTrust), ex officio
• Damon Jaggars, The Ohio State University (appointed)
• Holly Jeffcoat, Southern Methodist University (2024-2026)
• Steven Mandeville-Gamble, University of California, Riverside (appointed)
• Beth Namachchivaya, University of Waterloo (2022-2025), Chair
• Claire Stewart, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (appointed), Past Chair
• Günter Waibel, California Digital Library (appointed)
• Xuemao Wang, Northwestern University (2022-2024)

Learn more about the Board of Governors

Program Steering Committee

This active group of members advises the Board of Governors, offers a member perspective, and helps shape initiatives and strategies for Board discussion and decision-making.

Current Members

• Mohammad AlHamad, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (2022-2025)
• Miranda Bennett, California Digital Library (2024-2027)
• Emy Decker, University of Alabama (2022-2025)
• Marion Frank-Wilson, Indiana University (2023-2026)
• Alison Hitchens, University of Waterloo (2022-2025)
• Salwa Ismail, University of California, Berkeley (2023-2026)
• Nerea Llamas, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2022-2025)
• Rice Majors, University of California, Davis (2024-2027)
• Carla Myers, Miami University (2024-2027)
• Mark Paris, Brandeis University (2023-2026)
• Nina Serrvizzi, New York University (2024-2027)
• Erin Stalberg, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2022-2025)
• Jennifer Vinopal, HathiTrust, Associate Director (Regular Guest)

Learn more about the Program Steering Committee

How We Work

The University of Michigan is the current administrative and legal host of HathiTrust, and all employees of HathiTrust are employees of the University of Michigan. The University executes agreements and contracts for HathiTrust’s activities, and also hosts the preservation infrastructure  for the digital content deposited by our members.

We further rely on in-kind or contracted contributions from the California Digital Library, which administers Zephir, our metadata management system; the Indiana University, co-host for the HathiTrust Research Center and host for some technical infrastructure; the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, co-host for the HathiTrust Research Center; and the University of Michigan Library, which provides support for the administration of our technical infrastructure. In total, more than 60 people contribute directly to the operations of HathiTrust, including our full-time staff.

Support for HathiTrust resources and services is provided by the HathiTrust member institutions with funding for the infrastructure coming from annual revenues, which is drawn primarily from annual membership fees. Hardware, software, and services purchased on behalf of  HathiTrust by the University of Michigan, or resources created by HathiTrust, are done so on behalf of the members with a commitment to constant sharing and transparency.