Robert Maxwell Appointed RSC Chair Elect
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Robert L. Maxwell as RSC Chair Elect.
The current RSC Representative for North America, and a well-known figure in the US cataloguing community, Robert is looking forward to stepping fully into the international role as Chair Elect. He will begin his new role as soon as practicable, once NARDAC has appointed his successor as Regional Representative.
As Chair Elect, Robert will spend 2026 learning the role from current Chair Renate Behrens, who will support him through 2027 as Past Chair. Robert's term as Chair will end in 2030 and then he, in turn, will serve 2031 as Past Chair.
The search committee (consisting of the Director of ALA Digital Reference James Hennelly, RSC Chair Renate Behrens and RSC Secretary Anne Welsh) is particularly pleased that when the Countdown Clock to transition to Official RDA starts in May 2026 we will have two distinguished and experienced cataloguing educators as Chair and Chair Elect. We expect a smooth transition from Renate Behrens to Robert Maxwell in January 2027.
As the first RSC Chair appointed from a Region that was not part of the historic Anglo-American cataloguing community, Renate Behrens was appointed with a mandate to increase awareness of RDA internationally and to advance the RDA Board’s and RSC’s strategic aim of internationalisation.
She has done so using skills developed during her long experience in IFLA committees and as a former staff member of the DNB. She has been steadily working through each of the liaison arrangements the RSC has with other bodies, updating existing protocols and forging new ones, and, most importantly, ensuring that they represent real and active working relationships. She has also led the RSC to create disciplinary-based Advisory Working Groups - the Religions in RDA Working Group is an Advisory Working Group now, the Archives Working Group has started its programme of activities and the Music Working Group is currently establishing itself.
Renate said, “During his year as Chair Elect, Robert will be by my side as we continue to update our protocols and ensure that the present Working Groups have everything they need from the RSC. We are extremely fortunate to have recruited someone who has such a strong background in thinking, writing about and presenting Cataloguing Theory. This will be a great asset to the RDA community worldwide as it transitions to Official RDA. What a great opportunity for RDA cataloguers outside North America to hear about RDA from the author of Maxwell’s handbooks and other publications. I am delighted that Robert is keen to continue the international focus of our work and look forward to working more closely with him until the end of 2027 when I end my role as Past Chair.”
You can find out more about Robert on his RSC webpage.