September 8, 2015 Librarian Appoints Bernard A. Barton Jr. Chief Information Officer

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington today announced the appointment of Bernard A. Barton Jr. as chief information officer of the Library of Congress. The appointment takes effect today.

Barton most recently served as chief information officer and deputy administrator of the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC), the largest central resource for Department of Defense and government-funded research, development, technical and engineering information.

At the Library, Barton will serve as the senior information-technology leader, responsible for information-technology operations, strategy and alignment with the institution’s mission. As chief information officer, Barton also will serve on the Library’s Executive Committee.

“Mr. Barton brings to the Library of Congress the knowledge, expertise and leadership skills crucial to the institution’s mission of serving Congress and the American people in an age of rapidly evolving information technology,” Billington said. “He has a demonstrated, outstanding record of providing executive-level direction in the planning, implementation and evaluation of long-term information-technology operations and strategy.”

Barton succeeds Elizabeth Scheffler, who has served as interim chief information officer since January. She will return to her position as a senior executive in the U.S. Copyright Office.

“I am grateful to Liz for the outstanding leadership she has provided during this six-month period, and to the Register of Copyrights for generously sharing the expertise of one of her top executives. The institution has benefited from Liz’s energy, strategic vision and firm hand,” Billington said.

Barton joined DTIC in 2009 as deputy director of Information Technology Services. In 2010, he was named acting director of Information Technology Services and, in 2012, its director. Later that year, Barton was appointed DTIC’s deputy administrator and chief information officer.

In that role, Barton managed the daily operations of DTIC; developed institutional strategies; directed the planning and implementation of long-range information-technology initiatives; led the development of unique, state-of-the-art systems and technology applications; established DTIC as the Department of Defense science and technology community “cloud,” providing nearly real-time communication and collaboration infrastructure; and implemented Web 2.0 technologies within the institution, providing rapid prototyping of relevant and secure products and early adoption of new or improved technologies.

Prior to his tenure at DTIC, Barton served in several capacities with the North Carolina National Guard, including as deputy chief information officer. In that role, he administered all information technology for a network of more than 10,000 users scattered across the state.

Barton earned a B.S. in Management Information Systems with a minor in Aerospace Studies at Charleston Southern University. His post-graduate work includes courses at the National Defense University, Defense Acquisition University and Federal Executive Institute.

The Library of Congress, the nation’s first federal cultural institution and the largest library in the world, holds more than 160 million items in various languages, disciplines and formats. The Library serves the U.S. Congress and the nation both on-site and in its reading rooms on Capitol Hill and through its website at loc.gov.