Doug Reside Named New Curator of New York Public Library for the Performing Arts' Billy Rose Theatre Division

The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts has named Doug Reside the new Curator of the Billy Rose Theatre Division at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts in Lincoln Center. In his new role, effective immediately, Reside will lead a team of staff in expanding access, services, and outreach connected to The Billy Rose Theatre Division, one of the largest and most comprehensive archives devoted to the theatrical arts. Reside succeeds Karen Nickeson, who retired from the position in June.

"Doug has a verve and passion for theater history and new technologies, and a demonstrated commitment to the mission of the Library," said Jacqueline Z. Davis, Barbara G. and Lawrence A. Fleishman Executive Director of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. "I look forward to seeing Doug bring his expertise and enthusiasm to The Billy Rose Theatre Division and the performers, researchers, students, and creative individuals that it serves."

"I have seen first-hand what a vital resource The Billy Rose Theatre Division is to the theatrical community in New York and all around the world," said Reside. "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to continue and build on that tradition in this new capacity."

Since 2011, Reside has served as NYPL's Digital Curator for the Performing Arts. In this position, he initiated, created, and oversaw a number of digital archive and access projects. Reside also served as product owner for the Library's digital repository, where his leadership helped advance the work of the repository and related services, such as the metadata management system and importing data from other bibliographic tools.

Before joining the Library, Reside was Associate Director of the Maryland Institute of Technology in the Humanities where he taught a course on Theater History and Digital Humanities, and worked on projects to develop a standard for the annotation and citation of digital objects, video and 3D materials. Reside has also served on the American Theater Archive Project; as a Board member of the Theater Library Association; an organizer of the 2009 Song, Stage, and Screen Conference; and his writing has appeared in Theatre Survey, Studies in Musical Theatre, and other publications.

Reside holds a BA in English with a minor in theater, an MA in English, and BS in computer science from Truman State University; and a PhD in English with a focus on theater history from The University of Kentucky.

The Billy Rose Theatre Division of The New York Public Library includes approximately 5 million items pertaining to dramatic performance in all its diversity. The division's holdings illuminate virtually every type of performance, from street corner to stage to studio, and include drama and musical theater, film, television, radio, and popular entertainment. While it houses an extraordinary array of traditional reference materials, the division's strength and uniqueness lie in its unparalleled collection of theater ephemera as well as its pioneering efforts to document theater on videotape and film.

The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts houses one of the world's most extensive combination of circulating, reference, and rare archival collections in its field. These materials are available free of charge, along with a wide range of special programs, including exhibitions, seminars, and performances. An essential resource for everyone with an interest in the arts - whether professional or amateur - the Library is known particularly for its prodigious collections of non-book materials such as historic recordings, videotapes, autograph manuscripts, correspondence, sheet music, stage designs, press clippings, programs, posters and photographs. The Library is part of The New York Public Library system, which has locations in the Bronx, Manhattan and Staten Island, and is a lead provider of free education for all.