Director of Libraries Wilbur Stolt plans to retire in June. Photo by Nicholas Nelson/The Dakota Student.

After providing 15 years of service to UND, Director of Libraries Wilbur Stolt announced his retirement in June.

Stolt began his position in July of 2000, taking responsibility for programs and services at the Chester Fritz Library.

During this time, the library expanded access to informational resources adding databases and thousands of electronic journals to support student learning and faculty research. The library also worked with UND Student Government to establish a “Popular Reading Collection” that provides students with a selection of print and audio books for recreational reading.

“I have been here at UND for 15 years,” Stolt said. “I feel like it’s time to move on and try new things. After retirement, my wife and I would like to move closer to our children and grandchildren.”

Stolt is a Grand Forks native, and he graduated from UND in 1974 with bachelor’s degrees in education and history.

He later earned master’s degree in history and in library science from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, in 1978 and 1979, respectively.

He has served in various library administration positions in Wisconsin and Oklahoma, including Director of Public Services and Library Systems and Associate Professor of Bibliography at the University of Oklahoma, before returning to his alma mater in 2000 to head up the Chester Fritz Library and to serve as UND’s Director of Libraries.

“I know it sounds cliché, but I will miss the people, my colleagues,” Stolt said. “They are a great group dedicated to providing resources and services for students and faculty. The interactions with faculty and students have been very rewarding.”

In addition to serving several times as chairman of the Online Dakota Information Network — which serves libraries across North Dakota and started at UND — Stolt also for the past several years served as a delegate to the Online Computer Library Center Global Council.

He was one of 14 librarians from North America, Latin America and the Caribbean representing OCLC members from the Americas Region. The OCLC is a worldwide library cooperative, owned, governed and sustained by members.

“Wilbur has done an outstanding job during his long tenure at UND, and he will be sorely missed,” UND Provost Thomas DiLorenzo said. “We wish him well in this next chapter of his life.”

Katie Haines is a staff writer for The Dakota Student. She can be reached at [email protected].