Cornell University Librarian Sarah E. Thomas has announced the appointment of Katherine Reagan as curator of rare books in Cornell Library's Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections (RMC).

"Katherine's expertise in the history of books and printing and her knowledge of the antiquarian book trade has been a real asset to building upon the traditional strengths of our rare book collections and in developing new areas of emphasis," Thomas said.

Reagan came to Cornell in 1995 as RMC's head of public services, with responsibility for directing reference, outreach and instruction programs for the library's rare book and manuscript collections. For the past 20 months, she also has served as acting curator of rare books, with primary selection responsibilities for the library's 300,000-volume rare book collection.

Prior to coming to Cornell, Reagan was reference librarian at the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York City. She has a B.A. in humanities from the University of California at Berkeley and an M.A. in the history of books and rare book librarianship from Columbia University. She has played a leadership role in rare book librarianship at the national level and is the founding chair of the American Library Association's Public Services Group.