NEW YORK, NY.- The New York Public Library announced two exciting new appointments: Julie Golia as the Linda May Uris Director of the Humanities and Social Sciences Research Library and Bella Desai as Vice President, Public Programs and Exhibitions, Research Libraries.

As Uris Director, Golia will oversee all curatorial divisions at one of the world’s leading research libraries—NYPL’s flagship Stephen A. Schwarzman Building at 42nd street—along with access and research services in the reading rooms and stacks, and fellowships and programs in the Vartan Gregorian Center for Research in the Humanities. She began this appointment today, Nov. 17. Golia has worked at NYPL since 2020, most recently was the Library’s Associate Director of the Rayner Special Collections Wing and the Charles J. Liebman Senior Curator of Manuscripts.

Desai will lead the strategy behind a new and exciting strategic direction for the Library, which includes for the first time bringing together the public programming and exhibition teams at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, the Schomburg Center, and the Library for the Performing Arts. Desai is uniquely qualified to realize this vision: she has extensive experience in public programming, exhibition development, and strategic planning at premier cultural institutions, including most recently as the Director of Strategic Initiatives for Creatives Rebuild New York. She began working at NYPL on Nov. 5.

Together, these two roles represent an important trajectory for the Library as it seeks to build and draw in new and diverse audiences through the acquisition of cutting-edge collections, support the next generation of researchers, and develop accessible and relevant programming to unlock our rich holdings.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Julie Golia and Bella Desai into their new roles at The New York Public Library. Our mission is to ensure that our remarkable collections are an accessible and vital resource for everyone, from New York City's diverse communities to global scholars. Bella and Julie each individually bring tremendous experience that will be essential to expanding our reach and reinforcing the Library's role as a preeminent center for knowledge and public life,” said Brent Reidy, Andrew W. Mellon Director of the Research Libraries at The New York Public Library.

“Working at The New York Public Library is a wonder. Each day, magic happens at 42nd Street—the magic of discovery, curiosity, and knowledge creation. It is an honor to be able to lead the team of diligent professionals that make this magic possible,” said Julie Golia, Linda May Uris Director, Humanities and Social Sciences Research Library at The New York Public Library.

“I am excited and honored to join The New York Public Library in this new capacity. I am particularly drawn to the Library’s unique position serving both local and global audiences, with programming that reflects both New York's incredible diversity and the international importance of the research collections,” said Bella Desai, Vice President, Public Programs and Exhibitions, Research Libraries at The New York Public Library.

Background on the Linda May Uris Director, Humanities and Social Sciences Research Library at The New York Public Library

Almost two decades ago, Golia wrote much of her dissertation in the Library’s Rose Main Reading Room, pausing her typing every so often to glance upwards at the ornate, 52-foot-tall Beaux-Arts ceilings. It's this type of everyday marvel and inspiration for lifelong learning that Golia aims to foster for all visitors through her senior leadership role.

As the Associate Director of the Rayner Special Collections Wing and the Charles J. Liebman Senior Curator of Manuscripts, she oversaw curatorial and research service operations for the Manuscripts, Archives, and Rare Books divisions at 42nd Street. She joined the Library five years ago as Curator of History, Social Sciences, and Government Information.

During her time at the Library, Golia directed the Pandemic Diaries project, which collected over 250 audio recordings of people’s experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic. She has overseen the acquisition of landmark collections, including the Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne papers, the Oliver Sacks papers, the East Village Eye records, the Jonathan Mann Collection of Lincolniana, and the CameraPlanet 9/11 video collection.

“For over a century, 42nd Street has been a laboratory of learning and a place of refuge and reflection for countless visitors, readers, students, scholars, and citizens. We are one of the world's great research libraries—but we are also a public library, a free resource available to all. As we focus on welcoming and supporting new generations of researchers, I can't imagine a more exciting and inspiring mission,” said Golia.

Golia has also led important programming and exhibition initiatives at the Library. She produced Doc Chat, a weekly programming series that shed new light on the Library’s most evocative and quirky collection items through conversation. Golia was the lead curator on A Century of New Yorker, a major exhibition in honor of the magazine’s 100th birthday, and is currently lead curator on the Library’s upcoming exhibition marking the 250th anniversary of the United States, which will occupy every gallery in the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building.

Prior to her tenure at the Library, Golia was Vice President for Curatorial Affairs and Collections at Brooklyn Historical Society (now the Center for Brooklyn History), where she curated exhibitions including Taking Care of Brooklyn: Stories of Sickness and Health (2019) and Waterfront (2018). She received her Ph.D. in history from Columbia University. She is the author of Newspaper Confessions: A History of Advice Columns in a Pre-Internet Age, published in 2021 by Oxford University Press.

Background on the Vice President, Public Programs and Exhibitions, Research Libraries

Desai's relationship with NYPL began in her formative years at our flagship 42nd Street location.

“On those odd weekdays when we had off from school, I would come into the city with my mother who worked at a hospital downtown and beg to spend the afternoon at the ‘library with the lions,’” said Desai. “As an immigrant kid, I grew up feeling that the library was not only a place of wonder and refuge, but a place where I belonged and that belonged to me. Schomburg and LPA create that same magic for countless New Yorkers and we have the capacity to broaden their impact even further. The Library has the power to educate through unique exhibitions, motivate through programs that spark curiosity and connection, and activate us towards a better and brighter future.”

As Vice President, Public Programs and Exhibitions, Research Libraries, Desai will build connections across our research centers and create a unified vision to engage the public. In addition to bringing together the public programming and exhibition teams at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, the Schomburg Center, and the Library for the Performing Arts, she will also work in partnership with leadership for public programming in NYPL’s Branch Library system to deliver on institution-wide initiatives.

Together, these changes led by Desai will help the Library make good on its long-term goals of expanding access, engaging our community of patrons, and bringing in new and diverse audiences.

Desai’s background makes her uniquely qualified for this role. As Director of Strategic Initiatives for Creatives Rebuild New York—a three-year, $125 million initiative that provided guaranteed income and employment opportunities to artists across New York—Desai designed and led the program that funded employment for 300 artists in partnership with over 100 community-based organizations statewide.

Desai also led Exhibition Education and Public Programs for 14 years at the American Museum of Natural History. During this time, she led a strategic overhaul that streamlined events while quadrupling attendance. Her diverse experience also includes work at National Geographic, WGBH in Boston, and for Sesame Street in India. Desai holds a B.S. from Yale University and an Ed.M. from Harvard University.

She is eager to use her wide-ranging expertise in service of the Library’s mission to provide free access to knowledge for all, particularly in this moment.

“The importance of an institution that serves as a rallying cry for New York City and the world in this moment cannot be overstated—we need space for understanding, connection, and hope,” she said.