Librarian retires after 30 years of service

After 30 years of service, Randle Gedeon, professor and monographic acquisition and gifts librarian, will retire from Western Michigan University in December. 

“Libraries are a good place to spend your time at work,” Gedeon says. “I’m pleased that I ended up with a 35-year career in my field.”

His library career was partially inspired by his mother, a retired public librarian. Gedeon earned master’s degrees in Education from Baldwin Wallace University and Library Science from Kent State University. He served as a reference librarian at John Carroll University and an education librarian at Northeastern State University before moving on to Western.

Gedeon held several roles during his Western career, starting as a liaison librarian for the College of Education and Human Development before moving into collections-focused roles in the Technical Services and Resource Management departments. Over the years, Gedeon adapted as the University Libraries shifted new acquisitions from print to digital.

“When I was in graduate school, I remember spending many afternoons in the library searching ERIC,” Gedeon says. “What took a week of afternoons, you can [now] do in minutes.”

From print indexes to online databases, Gedeon has seen massive change in how people access library collections. But one thing hasn’t changed: the people behind the scenes who make it happen.

“I’ve worked with a lot of fun and interesting people. I’ve met students who had all kinds of potential. It was nice to see them grow, move on and be successful.”

Now heading into retirement, Gedeon is looking forward to traveling, especially to areas well known for their wines, and raising a glass to celebrate a career well done.

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