After 37 years of service on College Hill, Rogers State University’s Director of the Stratton Taylor Library, Alan Lawless, has announced his retirement. His last day will be Friday, April 30.
“Alan has made an outstanding contribution in his nearly four decades affiliated with the university, and we deeply appreciate his knowledge, innovation and steady guidance of the Stratton Taylor Library,” Dr. Richard Beck, vice president for academic affairs, said. “We have been fortunate to have him in this leadership role through RSU’s growth and academic success. His retirement is well-deserved.”
RSU President Dr. Larry Rice thanked Lawless for his many contributions to the university throughout the years.
“Alan has dedicated his life’s work to our university. Our students, faculty and staff appreciate his dedication to our institution. We wish him the best in retirement,” Rice said.
Lawless has served the Stratton Taylor Library since 1983, when it was known as Thunderbird Library at RSU’s predecessor institution Rogers State College. He has adapted, prioritized and advocated for the academic needs of RSU’s students, faculty and staff.
“The library world has changed a lot in the past 37 years. Alan has worked hard to keep up with the latest changes relating to academic libraries and concentrated on providing tools that will most benefit students, staff and faculty,” Dr. Jane Johansson, professor in the department of history and political science, said. “He has been extremely student and faculty centered, and this commitment has strengthened all our degree offerings.”
Dr. Johansson, a library committee member and former chairperson, has worked alongside Alan for more than 20 years. She has been an advocate for a library in Pryor as well as helping design one.
Some of Lawless’ many accomplishments include updating the library to an automated system and adding the first electronic database on campus.
“Alan is certainly not afraid of technology and is excited to keep up with anything that will be helpful to students, faculty, library staff and the general public. Making sure that the library has up-to-date databases that are accessible on and off campus has made library research possible for online students as well as those who cannot travel to campus easily,” Dr. Emily Dial-Driver, professor of English and humanities, said.
Dr. Dial-Driver is a longtime faculty member who has worked alongside Lawless on College Hill for 37 years. She has been instrumental in adding the RSU librarians as members of the RSU Faculty Association.
Lawless has also mentored a vast number of librarians, library staff and student staff. One of his mentees is Kaitlin Crotty, a previous library student worker and now associate library director. She said Lawless’ work ethic, drive and compassion has made him a great leader, mentor and friend.
“He seeks faculty input on the acquisition of new databases and ensures that their voices are heard on material selections within their field of expertise. Alan goes out of his way to engage with faculty and staff at every opportunity,” Crotty said. “He is never too busy to meet one on one with a student to assist them as they navigate through the research process. In all his years here, Alan has cultivated a warm, caring, supportive culture and his absence will be deeply felt.”
During his tenure, RSU became a Federal Selective Government Depository for U. S. Government Documents in the summer of 2006 for the Second Congressional District. These publications provide information useful in many fields, including business, economics, education, history, law and science.
In 2009, the library became one of more than 17 Oklahoma libraries participating in the Oklahoma Publications Clearinghouse program, the purpose of which is to ensure free and public access to state agency documents. In 2014, a library collection was established at the new Pryor campus.
Last year, Lawless learned several students did not have access to a computer or to a webcam. He, along with his staff, did several work arounds at the library to ensure that students could keep up with their classwork during the pandemic.
Lawless was an avid reader as a child and credits his mother for instilling reading as a virtue. He continues to read almost forty books each year.
“I am very excited about starting the next phase of my life helping my daughter Tonya and son-in-law John with my precious three grandsons: Isaiah (seven), Lincoln (four) and Sloan (one),” Lawless said. “I plan to read to my heart’s content as well as keep up with good content on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime.”
Crotty has been appointed as the interim library director. She begins her duties May 1. The Stratton Taylor Library provides informational resources and expertise that support the intellectual and cultural development of RSU students, faculty, staff and community members.
The library’s collection holds more than 77,000 books and thousands of DVDs, videos and CDs. It also has access to more than 40,000 electronic books and 66 electronic databases. The Stratton Taylor Library is located on the Claremore campus of Rogers State University and open to the public. For more information, visit www.rsu.edu/library.