James G. Neal

James G. Neal is an American librarian, library administrator, and a prominent figure in American and international library associations. In 2022 President Joe Biden appointed him to the National Museum and Library Services Board which advises the agency on general policies with respect to the duties, powers, and authority of the Institute of Museum and Library Services relating to museum, library, and information services, as well as the annual selection of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service.

Neal is widely active in national and international forums in the areas of copyright and scholarly communication. From 2001 to 2014 he was Vice President for Information Services and University Librarian at Columbia University, and he now serves as University Librarian Emeritus. At the Columbia University Libraries, he focused on the development of the digital library, special collections, global resources, instructional technology, library facility construction and renovation, and electronic scholarship. Before taking up his position at Columbia, he was Dean of University Libraries at Indiana University and Johns Hopkins University and held administrative positions at Penn State's library, Notre Dame's library, and the City University of New York's library.

In 2007, Neal received the Hugh C. Atkinson Award from the Association of College and Research Libraries, In 2009 he was honored by the American Library Association with the Melvil Dewey Medal and in 2015 with the Joseph W. Lippincott Award. In April 2016, Neal was elected president of the American Library Association for 2017-2018.