As dean of libraries and university librarian at the University of Michigan, Lisa R. Carter leads and sustains the vision and strategy for a world-class library system in alignment with the university's strategy and vision. 

Among Carter's current 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. 

Carter has also served as associate director of Special Collections and Area Studies at The Ohio State University Libraries; head of the Special Collections Research Center at North Carolina State University Libraries; director of archives and audio-visual archivist at the University of Kentucky Libraries; and, in her first library role, film cataloger at Iowa State University. 

Carter received a 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.