David de Lorenzo

David de Lorenzo is a Lecturer at the iSchool, San José State University, where he has been teaching since 2003. He is affiliated with the School of Information and teaches graduate courses in archives, records management, and contemporary issues in library and information science.

His educational background includes an M.S.L.S. from Simmons College (1979) and a B.A. from Wabash College (1976).

De Lorenzo's research interests are deeply rooted in archival science and library history. Key areas include:

• Archival Description and RAD
• Special Collections and Rare Books
• Digital and Virtual Libraries
• History of Libraries and Library Science
• Records Management
• Users and Uses of Information Systems
• The American Deaf Community

His work emphasizes access, preservation, and the societal role of archives.

Throughout his career, he has been involved in significant grant-funded projects, including over $6 million in external grants during his tenure at UC Berkeley’s Bancroft Library, focusing on archival processing and digitization.

• Mellon Fellow at the Bentley Historical Library

He has held leadership roles in major archival institutions, advising on best practices, metadata standards, and digital access. While no direct students are listed, his teaching of graduate seminars suggests mentorship and academic guidance. He has pioneered the use of MARC formats for medieval manuscripts and contributed to the development of Encoded Archival Description (EAD).

De Lorenzo has led major digital transformation initiatives at the Maryland Historical Society, UC Berkeley, and the University of Oregon, where he modernized cataloging systems, implemented integrated library systems, and advanced born-digital preservation.