State Librarian Announces Retirement
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIndiana State Librarian Roberta Brooker has announced plans to retire. She has held the job for seven years. Associate Director of Public Services Connie Bruder will serve on an interim basis while the Indiana Library and Historical Board searches for a permanent replacement.
December 17, 2013
News Release
Indianapolis, Ind. — Roberta L. Brooker is retiring on Friday, December 27, 2013 after serving as Indiana State Librarian for seven years. She began her career at the State Library in 1988 as a Reference Librarian and went on to serve in several other capacities, including Coordinator of the Indiana State Data Center and Consultant for the Library Development Office.
Ms. Brooker is responsible for overseeing the external affairs of the State Library, which include developing and providing library services to Indiana citizens and the state government, encouraging and supporting the development of the library profession, and strengthening the services of publicly and privately supported libraries in the state. She is also charged with maintaining a 2.5 million item collection of Indiana and federal materials, as well as one of the largest genealogy collections in the Midwest.
“This has been an extremely difficult decision for me to make and I would like to thank you for the many great opportunities that have been available to me as the Director and employee of the State Library,” said Brooker. “I have enjoyed working with and learning from my colleagues for the past 25 years, but now I am ready to pursue new interests.”
Under Ms. Brooker's direction, the State Library has succeeded in making its collections more accessible to the public, while preserving them for future generations. The Library, once one of the best kept secrets in Indiana, is now being promoted more aggressively and entertains various groups for public and private events. During her tenure, the Library has developed one of the nation's most comprehensive library professional development programs, as well as a shared library catalogue consortium of over 100 Indiana public libraries that is among the largest in the world. The Library is also actively pursuing new opportunities and partnerships that will benefit the entire statewide library community.
“The current staff is excellent and is the best staff that I have seen since I began working at the Indiana State Library. They are bright, enthusiastic and work very well together,” added Brooker. “Both public services and statewide services staff work very hard at providing excellent customer service. This would be an excellent job for any interested person.”
Connie Bruder, Associate Director of Public Services, has been appointed Interim Director effective December 28, 2013. The Indiana Library & Historical Board will conduct a nationwide search for Ms. Brooker’s replacement.
About the Indiana State Library (www.library.IN.gov)
The Indiana State Library was established in 1825 to provide library services to Indiana’s state governmental officials and employees. Since that time, the responsibilities of the State Library have expanded to provide services to all citizens of Indiana. Just as the Library of Congress serves as the historical repository for our nation, the State Library is responsible for collecting and preserving all types of information and data about the state of Indiana.
Source: Indiana State Library