Dean of K-State Libraries Lori Goetsch is retiring at the end of the school year.
Her last day will be May 28, 2021.
Goetsch has led the library since August 2004 and during that time faced many challenges, most notably the May 2018 fire at Hale Library. She says the fire and the aftermath have been the most challenging experience of her career. The fire led to the library being closed for 15 months and she was tasked with overseeing the recovery process and leading planning and renovation.
Those renovations are set for completion in January.
“I would like to thank Dean Goetsch for her outstanding service to Kansas State University, particularly in the last two years as she steered the university through the aftermath of the Hale Library fire to overseeing its renovation and transformation as a next-generation library,” said Charles Taber, provost and executive vice president. “Her leadership has been truly appreciated during this time as has her work to ensure the university libraries’ mission of assisting academic success in research, learning and discovery.”
Prior to coming to K-State, Goetsch served as director of the public services division at the University of Maryland’s library. She’s also worked at libraries both at the University of Tennessee and University of Illinois at Chicago.
“I think my greatest accomplishment and the one that was most unexpected was the Hale fire and our recovery,” Goetsch said. “I learned so much about a lot of things — general contracting, interior design, architecture, insurance — it was quite an experience and one I’m very proud of. We will have a beautiful and functional Hale Library for many years to come.”
A search for Goetsch’s replacement will begin at a later date.
