Forrest Foster

Forrest C. Foster is a tenured academic library leader and Assistant Dean of Library Services at North Carolina A&T State University’s F. D. Bluford Library, where he leads library space planning and strategic operations and oversees Access Services and Metadata & Discovery Services. His leadership portfolio is centered on expanding access, strengthening community engagement, and advancing information literacy instruction and student-centered initiatives. Additionally, his work emphasizes space planning and institutional alignment, with responsibility for guiding library space governance, operational effectiveness, and collaborative infrastructure initiatives that support research, learning, and student success. He has also contributed to university-wide initiatives connected to the development of research infrastructure, general education redesign, faculty scholarship visibility, student success, institutional effectiveness, and cross-campus academic collaboration in support of the university’s R1 aspirations.

A published scholar and national presenter, Foster’s work focuses on academic leadership, inclusive excellence, mentorship and leadership development, student success, and innovative approaches to information and digital literacy in higher education. His scholarship and creative activity explore the intersections of hip-hop, metaliteracy, digital literacy, and culturally responsive engagement as pathways to learning and belonging. Extending this creative and scholarly work, Foster has contributed original music and film scoring support to documentary work centered on Black librarianship, literacy, representation, and freedom, further reflecting his commitment to culturally responsive storytelling and community engagement. He has led and collaborated on initiatives that elevate faculty scholarship, strengthen research engagement, and expand interdisciplinary partnerships across campus and within the broader library profession.

His contributions have been recognized through the 2018 Chancellor’s Achievement Award for Excellence for outstanding institutional leadership at Winston-Salem State University, the 2023 North Carolina Library Association REMCo Academic Roadbuilder’s Award for pioneering leadership and advancing equity in librarianship, and the awarding of tenure in 2025 at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, further affirming his record of leadership, scholarship, service, and institutional contribution. His leadership and professional contributions were also recognized through his selection to the UCLA Library Senior Fellows 2026 Program, a national leadership institute focused on the evolving role of academic libraries and senior library leadership.