Randy Riley
Randy Riley | |
|---|---|
 Riley in 2024 | |
| Born | Randy Joseph Riley September 21, 1962 Ionia, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | January 3, 2026 (aged 63) East Lansing, Michigan, U.S. |
| Occupation | State librarian |
Randy Joseph Riley (September 21, 1962 – January 3, 2026) was an American librarian who served as the State Librarian of Michigan from 2014 to 2025.
Background
[edit]Riley was born in Ionia, Michigan, on September 21, 1962, to Leonard and Camilla Riley.[1] He married Lori Cunningham on August 27, 1988 and the couple had two children.[1]
He received a bachelor's degree in education from Central Michigan University and a master’s degree of Information and Library Studies in the Archives and Records Management Program at the University of Michigan in 1989.[2]
Riley died in East Lansing, Michigan, on January 3, 2026, at the age of 63.[1][3][4] After his death, a memorial service was held at the Library of Michigan with over 500 attendees.[5]
Career
[edit]Riley began his career as a teacher, teaching history and social studies.[6] He began working for the Library of Michigan after getting his library degree in 1989.[7] He had many roles within the Library of Michigan including being head of special collections, and Michigan eLibrary (MeL) coordinator.[1] He was the editor of the Michigan Genealogist newsletter and 2010 received the Filby Award, a recognition given to the leading family history librarian in the U.S.[7] He played a founding role in the creation of the Michigan Service Hub for the Digital Public Library of America and the Michigan Digital Preservation Network.[8] He worked with Archives of Michigan to create SeekingMichigan, an online resource for genealogical research containing over one million freely available death records.[9]
He served as a state librarian after being appointed in 2014.[2][9] He coordinated the Michigan Notable Books program as well as the Michigan Center for the Book.[6] He worked on projects such as the Post-Pandemic Public Library Project, an initiative to help library directors and their communities reconnect after COVID.[7]
Riley had a career belief in outreach saying "We have plenty of librarians that love books. We now need more librarians that love people."[7] In 2023 he was in the advisory board for the University of Michigan School of Information's Civic Librarian Project, a course encouraging librarians to work with local governments and residents on solutions to civic problems.[7]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 "East Lansing, MI". Dignity Memorial. 1962-09-21. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
- 1 2 "State Librarian Randy Riley Remembered as Champion for Public Libraries". State of Michigan. 2026-01-06. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
- ↑ "State Librarian Randy Riley dies at 63". Yahoo News. 2026-01-06. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
- ↑ Goetz, Dylan (2026-01-07). "Longtime Michigan library advocate Randy Riley dies at 63". MLive. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
- ↑ Simmons, Taryn (2026-01-09). "Library of Michigan hosts memorial for State Librarian". WLNS. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
- 1 2 "State Librarian/State Librarian's Excellence Award". State of Michigan. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
- 1 2 3 4 5 McFee, Abigail. "Honoring Randy Riley's life and legacy in libraries". umsi. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
- ↑ "In Honor of Randy Riley". Michigan Academic Library Association. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
- 1 2 "Veteran Librarian Randy Riley Selected as the Next State Librarian of Michigan". State of Michigan. 2014-04-28. Retrieved 2026-01-09.