Brown librarian joining Hillary Clinton's staff

Edward L. "Ted" Widmer, the director of the John Carter Brown Library, a rare books library at Brown University, is stepping down from his post, in part to take a job as senior adviser to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, the university announced last week.

He'll also serve as an assistant to new Brown University President Christina Paxson, focused on special projects.

Working with a Clinton is nothing new for Widmer, who holds a doctorate from Harvard University and is also an award-winning author of "Young America: The Flowering of Democracy in New York City," among other works.

He served as special assistant to President Bill Clinton on national security affairs, writing foreign policy speeches. He later served as a senior adviser to the president for special projects, according to a biography on Brown's website.