David Ferriero

David Sean Ferriero (/ˈfɛrioʊ/; born December 31, 1945) is an American librarian and library administrator, who served as the tenth Archivist of the United States. He previously served as the director of the New York Public Library and as the University Librarian and Vice Provost for Library Affairs at Duke University. Prior to his Duke position, he worked for 31 years at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology library. Ferriero was the first librarian to serve as Archivist of the United States.

Ferriero was born and raised in Beverly, Massachusetts, and graduated from Beverly High School. He earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in English literature from Northeastern University.

Ferriero's education was interrupted by service in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War. He served as a Navy hospital corpsman assigned to a Marine unit in Danang, Vietnam, and on a hospital ship, the USS Sanctuary, in Vietnamese waters.

Following his military service, he earned a Master of Science degree in library and information science from Simmons College.

Ferriero worked at MIT Libraries for 31 years, including as associate director of public services.

Ferriero was the Rita DiGiallonardo Holloway University Librarian and vice provost for library affairs at Duke University from 1996 through 2004. Ferriero was the first Duke University librarian to address the members of the university's board of trustees in person. He was actively involved in the evolution of North Carolina's Triangle Research Libraries Network (TRLN).

Ferriero was the Andrew W. Mellon Director and Chief Executive of the Research Libraries at the New York Public Library (NYPL) from 2004. In 2007 his role expanded with additional responsibilities as director of New York Public Library's Branch Libraries. He was responsible for the management and operations of NYPL's research libraries since 2005 and the branch libraries since 2007. He presided over a major restructuring, which was accompanied by elimination of some positions and the creation of new ones. Ferriero argued that transformation was imperative as NYPL adapted to the profound cultural and societal developments affecting the future of libraries.

Ferriero prioritized staff recruitment, retention, training, development, and compensation. He also made it a point to try to visit the main reading room every day, assessing the varied needs of NYPL patrons.