News & Noteworthy

Bonnie Postlethwaite, former LITA President, appointed Dean of University Libraries at UMKC

 Gail Hackett, UMKC Provost & Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, has announced the following:

“I am pleased to announce the appointment of Bonnie Postlethwaite as Dean of University Libraries for a two-year term, effective July 1, 2012. As the current Associate Dean of Libraries with a long history of administrative service and an extensive knowledge of UMKC and its complex libraries’ system, Postlethwaite is particularly well suited for this appointment.

Since coming to UMKC in 2006, Associate Dean Postlethwaite has provided leadership, strategic direction and administrative oversight for University Libraries operations, including the Miller Nichols Library, which houses the LaBudde Special Collections and Marr Sound Archives and the Music Media Library, the Health Sciences Library (Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy) and the Dental Library.

Among her accomplishments as Associate Dean, Postlethwaite has led the development of the University Libraries strategic plan and its implementation. She has worked with the Dean of Libraries and library directors to create and manage the annual budget and has provided leadership to divisional directors for operation management and planning. Postlethwaite has participated in the planning teams for the library additions and renovations and has managed the impact of construction projects on library operations. In addition, she has served as Principal Investigator on two successful grants for collections in the Marr Sound Archives: a $500,000 grant to catalog transcription discs in the Goldin Collection and a $127,536 National Endowment of the Humanities grant to catalog and preserve KMBC radio transcription discs.

Before coming to UMKC, Postlethwaite was Associate Dean of Information Services (2000-2005) at Baker University, and Associate Vice President of IS (2005-2006). From 1991-2000, she was the Director of University Library Technology Services at Tufts University in Medford, Mass.

Please join me in expressing appreciation to Associate Dean Postlethwaite for agreeing to accept this new role as our Dean of University Libraries. Toward the end of the two-year term, we will seek input and make decisions about next steps for the Library.”

Bonnie Postlethwaite has been especially active with the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA).  She was president in 2006-2007, and a member of the LITA Board of Directors and its Executive Committee from 2002 to 2008.  Currently, she chairs the LITA Assessment and Research Committee.  Colleen Cuddy, LITA President, said “Congratulations to Bonnie and to the UMKC for choosing a technology leader to lead their libraries.  Bonnie is an asset to LITA and is sure to excel in her new role.”

One comment

  1. Kenley Neufeld

    I know it’s probably clear to many out there, but I have no idea what UMKC means (call me a dumb Californian). The acronym is used throughout the press release but not spelled out anywhere. Can you help?

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