The Coalition for Networked Information (CNI) is pleased to welcome Kate Zwaard as its next executive director, effective September 15, 2025.

Kate joins CNI from the Library of Congress (LC), where she has served since 2011, presiding over the Library’s comprehensive digital transformation and establishing the organization as a technology leader. Under her stewardship, the Library underwent a fundamental change in how it manages, preserves, and provides access to its vast collections in the digital age. Kate’s numerous contributions include authoring LC’s first digital strategy, spearheading innovative digital initiatives such as LC Labs to explore creative uses of new technologies, exponentially expanding the Library’s digital collections, and leading an agency-wide shift to open source software.

Currently serving as associate librarian for Discovery & Preservation Services, Kate oversees a $125 million annual budget and leads more than 600 staff members, working to further modernize acquisitions, description, preservation, and access. She leads the Digital Services, Preservation, and Acquisitions and Bibliographic Access Directorates.

“It will be an honor to lead an organization that shapes the digital information landscape through collaboration and thoughtful stewardship,” said Kate. “I look forward to collaborating with ARL, EDUCAUSE, the CNI team, and our community to build on CNI’s legacy of fostering meaningful connections, embracing emerging digital opportunities, and supporting research and innovation for the common good.”

Kate has led cutting-edge work with machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) and collaborated on large-scale national projects. As part of developing the Library’s first digital strategy, she devised an inclusive, consensus-building process that solicited and incorporated input from a broad range of stakeholders. She has fostered innovative computational initiatives such as the Newspaper Navigator project, which uses ML to identify and extract historical newspaper content, and she led LC’s migration from a legacy integrated library system to an open source solution.

Previously, Kate served as the supervisory information technology specialist for the Digital Repository Development team, chief of National Digital Initiatives, and director of digital strategy from 2018 to 2022, where she led and built the Digital Strategy Directorate. Prior to LC, Kate led a development team responsible for the digital preservation and authentication data architecture at the US Government Publishing Office.

“I’m thrilled to see a transformative leader like Kate take the helm at CNI,” said Andrew K. Pace, executive director of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and search committee chair. “She will bring a purposeful, focused, and member-oriented approach to maintaining CNI’s unique position in our field and ensuring its bright future.”

Kate brings extensive experience in defining clear strategic directions, driving innovation, spearheading organizational change, and applying emerging technologies to advance areas such as digital collections and academic technology. Her experience in leading national and international collaborations will further CNI’s work and impact. She has spoken and published widely on topics ranging from software development to digital preservation. Her service contributions include the ARL/CNI Joint Task Force on AI and ML Futures, the International Federation of Library Associations Information Technology Section, the National Digital Stewardship Alliance’s Standards and Practices Working Group, and the PREMIS Editorial Committee, which she chaired.

“Kate is strategic, approachable, and authentic,” said Jenn Stringer, vice president and chief digital officer, J. Paul Getty Trust, and an EDUCAUSE-appointed member of the CNI Steering Committee. “She’s a seasoned leader with great insight. I know she is the right person to engage the staff, membership, and Steering Committee, and I’m excited about the work to develop CNI’s future strategy.” 

Kate succeeds Clifford Lynch, who served as CNI’s executive director from 1997 until his passing in April 2025; he was due to retire in July 2025.  

The Coalition for Networked Information (CNI) is a joint project of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and EDUCAUSE that drives the future of scholarship and education through the creative use of information technology. With a dynamic membership of over 200 organizations spanning higher education, publishing, information technology, scholarly societies, professional organizations, foundations, and leading library institutions and organizations, CNI is at the forefront of shaping how knowledge is discovered, shared, and advanced. Learn more at www.cni.org.