LANSING, Mich. — The Library of Michigan has a permanent leader again. The Michigan Department of Education has appointed David Votta, who had been running the library on an interim basis, as the new state librarian.
Votta takes on the permanent role Oct. 25. He has close to three decades in the library field, including time as a library director and department manager, and he previously oversaw special collections at the Library of Michigan before stepping in as interim chief.
While serving as interim state librarian, he directed the library staff and managed programs paid for through a mix of state and federal funding. The department said his selection came out of a nationwide competitive search with several rounds of interviews measured against statewide leadership criteria.
State Superintendent Glenn Maleyko, in the department announcement, praised Votta’s range of experience and ethical leadership and said his plans for the library respect its long mission while looking ahead to serving libraries and communities across Michigan.
Votta, in the same release, said he was honored to take the job and pointed to the library’s role in protecting state history, widening access to information and supporting local communities.
The post had been without a permanent holder since the death of former state librarian Randy Riley.
The Library of Michigan sits within the Department of Education. Lawmakers created it under the Library of Michigan Act of 1982 as a lasting institution to collect and preserve Michigan publications, handle reference and research work, and back up public libraries around the state. He earned a graduate degree in library science.
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