Lisa Carter (MLIS ‘94) is the University Librarian and Dean of Libraries at the University of Michigan, where she leads and sustains the vision and strategy for a world-class library system in alignment with the university's strategy and vision. She received her master’s degree in information and library studies from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary humanities from Michigan State University. 

Among Carter's priorities are renewing library facilities; strengthening the library's organizational culture and antiracism and social justice practices; guiding planning, fundraising, and campus collaboration efforts; enhancing access to relevant and compelling content and collections; and cultivating the regional, national and international partnerships that facilitate scholarship and support the mission of the university and the library.  

From 2018-2023, Carter was vice provost for libraries and university librarian at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, one of the 10 largest public university library systems in the United States.

Before UW-Madison, Carter was the associate director of special collections and area studies at The Ohio State University Libraries. Prior to OSU, she served as the head of the Special Collections Research Center at North Carolina State University Libraries in Raleigh, N.C. and the director of archives at the University of Kentucky Libraries in Lexington, KY.

At Ohio State, she helped advance campus-wide discussions that position the Libraries as a valued partner and leader, such as exploring digital arts and humanities practice on campus and cultural heritage collection stewardship. Carter also established and provided leadership for a museum-quality exhibition program that provides library experiences that inspire discovery and opportunistic engagement with Libraries’ expertise and collections. Her experiences in a number of leadership positions throughout her career have built her reputation as a capable administrator.

In 2020, UMSI presented Carter with its Distinguished Alumni Award.