Stephen Crocco, former head librarian at Princeton Theological Seminary, is the new Yale Divinity School Library Director. Crocco began his YDS career on September 28, succeeding interim director Suzanne Estelle-Holmer.
Crocco has held several important leadership positions in the field of theological libraries, serving as the James Lenox Librarian at Princeton and Director of the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Library. His academic credentials include a Ph.D. in religious ethics from Princeton University, a Masters in Theology from Harvard University, and a Masters in Library Science from the University of Pittsburgh.
“After many years as the Library Director at Princeton Theological Seminary, it was time for a change,” Crocco said. “Now that my friend and colleague Paul Stuehrenberg has retired, I’m honored to put my shoulder to the Divinity Library wheel and push in the same direction he did for so long and so well.
“I look forward to supporting a superb library staff as we acquire fantastic materials for study and research. Along the way, we’ll attend to developments in technology, new emphases on teaching and learning, and the management of collections and services in an age of increasing regulation. I’ll also be on the lookout for special projects that grow out of the mission and holdings of the Yale Divinity Library.”
YDS Dean Greg Sterling hailed Crocco as a person who “understands that libraries are more than book depositories,” adding, “We are very pleased to have Steve Crocco joining us. He has a great deal of experience leading other major divinity libraries and has proven himself to be forward-looking in his thinking and practices. Steve will be a strong advocate for our library.”
Allen Townsend, Yale’s Associate University Librarian for Arts & Humanities, thanked Suzanne Estelle-Holmer for serving as the Interim Divinity School Library Director over this past year. “Suzanne brought her wealth of knowledge about the Divinity Library and the school to that role, and led the YDS Library through a period of unprecedented change,” Townsend said.
Estelle-Holmer will continue to provide leadership for the YDS Library’s collections and research support program as Associate Director for Research, Collections and Access.