Darin Fox '86 Appointed As Interim Dean of University Libraries

This article originally appeared on OUDaily, here.

OU alumnus, law professor Darin Fox appointed as interim dean of university libraries

OU Senior Vice President and Provost Kyle Harper announced the appointment of Darin Fox as interim dean of the university libraries Monday afternoon.

According to the announcement, Fox currently serves as the associate dean, director of the law library and professor of law. Fox succeeds the previous interim dean, Carl Grant, who served from 2018 to present. In an email with The Daily, Grant said he's accepted a position with another organization and will be leaving OU at the end of June.

Fox, an OU alumnus, served as the associate dean for Law Library and Information Technology Services at the University of Southern California before joining OU's faculty in 2005. At OU’s College of Law, Fox is responsible for the law library, information technology, accreditation and the Digital Initiative project, according to the announcement.

“As an OU graduate, law librarian, and professor, I am honored to be selected as the Interim Dean of the OU Libraries," Fox said in an email with The OU Daily. "The OU Libraries are the intellectual crossroads of the University. Through expertise, outstanding collections, innovative services, and state-of-the-art facilities, the OU Libraries support knowledge creation and advance the mission of the University. I’d like to thank Interim Dean Carl Grant for his outstanding service to the OU Libraries for the past seven years, and I look forward to building on his vision and the excellent work of OU Libraries team.”

While serving as associate dean, Fox oversaw major renovations to the OU Law Library, including the creation of the Inasmuch Foundation Collaborative Learning Center and the forthcoming Chickasaw Nation Active Learning Classroom and Event Center. According to the announcement, Fox also served as chair of the Faculty Senate’s Information Technology Council and on the College of Law Admissions and Faculty Appointments Committees at OU.

Fox received his undergraduate degree in letters with high honors from OU in 1989, followed by a juris doctor degree from the OU College of Law in 1992. He went on to receive a master’s of science degree from the University of Illinois in 1993, according to the announcement.

During Fox’s academic tenure, he has served as chair of the Association of American Law Schools, Section on Law Libraries and Legal Information, and was the president of the Mid-America Law Library Consortium. According to the announcement, Fox was also named Barrister of the Year by the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Inn of Court in 2008.

According to the announcement, Fox’s academic interests include the intersection of law with information technology — specifically, how technology impacts law libraries, legal education and the practice of law. Fox teaches Introduction to Legal Research and Advanced Legal Research in the juris doctor and online master of legal studies programs.