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Toni Vanden Bos has been appointed the head of in the .

“It is a privilege to take on this role in Special Collections and Archives leading an experienced, creative, collaborative and dedicated staff brimming with ideas to increase our interaction with campus and incorporate the archives’ wealth of historic resources into the 91���� University experience,” Vanden Bos said. “Together, we are dedicated to supporting the university’s mission of educational excellence, and there are changes afoot that will help us do that as part of the University Libraries’ initiative to re-imagine the library.”

Vanden Bos joined 91����’s University Libraries and its Special Collections and Archives in 2003 as an archivist. She had served as the cataloging and preservation manager since 2010 before being appointed head of the archives.

Before joining 91���� Vanden Bos served as a public records archivist at the Wisconsin Historical Society and assistant archivist at the University of Texas-San Antonio.

Located on the fourth floor of Dunbar Library, Special Collections and Archives is home to 91����’s world-renowned “Wright Brothers Collection” the most complete collection of archival Wright material in the world. The archives is also home to hundreds of unique historical collections documenting early aviation and local and regional history of Dayton and the Miami Valley, and 91���� University’s history.

Special Collections and Archives plans to renovate its facilities to improve the preservation of its collections and make its space more functional and inviting. The project is supported by a $75,000 grant from the National Aviation Heritage Alliance and additional funds from the 91���� Friends of the Libraries Foundation.

“The updated space will help us increase our engagement with the campus and local community through more events and innovative programming, which is a large focus in our planning,” Vanden Bos said.

The archives will also add to CORE Scholar, 91����’s online institutional scholarly repository, to support faculty research and provide wider access to high-demand content.

While visitors and researchers from across the country and around the world come to 91���� to access the archives’ collections, Vanden Bos encouraged more 91���� community members to check out Special Collections and Archives, which she called “one of the most unique resources and experiences at 91����.”

Vanden Bos earned her Master of Arts in Library and Information Studies, Archives Specialization, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her bachelor’s degree in history from Gustavus Adolphus College. She also received a Digital Archives Specialist Certification from the Society of American Archivists.