Dean and Professor of Librarianship Teri Koch will begin a transitional sabbatical, effective July 1, into her retirement planned at the end of the calendar year. Associate Dean Hope Bibens will succeed Koch.
Koch’s retirement will conclude 40 years of service to Drake University, the community and the professional field of librarianship.
“People sometimes ask why I stayed at Drake for my entire career. The short answer is opportunity and people,” Koch said in an email to The Times-Delphic. “Drake gave me room to grow professionally, and the faculty, staff and students make this a genuinely special community. I’ve always felt we were working toward something meaningful together.”
One of Koch’s goals was to engage the Drake campus and the Des Moines community in larger conversations about libraries and access to information. In October, the Cowles Library hosted a Banned Books Week event, which invited community members to come together to talk openly about censorship and the freedom to read.
Bibens has held multiple roles that have prepared her as she steps into the dean role. In addition to being the associate dean, Bibens has served as an associate professor of librarianship and director of University Archives and Special Collections. Her deep knowledge of the Drake community and her vision for the future of academic libraries have made her the ideal candidate for dean as she continues the “library’s legacy of excellence,” Koch said.
Regardless of the differences in career stages, Koch said she recognizes how her and Biben’s leadership philosophies aligned, and credited this to their proud identities as first-generation college students.
“She’s been a wonderful colleague, and I felt very confident retiring knowing she would be leading the library,” Koch said.
Koch’s time and dedication to Cowles Library have laid the foundation for what Bibens plans to build upon.
“I’m grateful to Dean Teri Koch for her work to lay out the library’s current strategic priorities,” Bibens said. ”I am excited to begin conversations with the faculty and staff about additional initiatives.”
Bibens said she envisions Cowles Library’s future as beyond a study space, but as an intellectual hub prioritizing belonging.
“I want to develop this vision collaboratively. The best initiatives will come from listening to what our community needs and imagining together what’s possible,” Bibens said.
Many of her ideas include collaboration with the campus community, on exhibits, programming or bringing collections to classrooms. Bibens is also interested in establishing new traditions that centralize the library.
Koch said she hopes the library continues to aid students’ ability to learn and succeed.
“Libraries have an important role in helping students think critically and use information ethically — and that work matters now more than ever,” Koch said.
