Lee van Orsdel

Previous Dean of Libraries, Grand Valley State University

Lee has 45 years of leadership experience in academic libraries in Alabama, Kentucky, and Michigan, including reorganization, staff development, leadership, program innovation, and library design. Recently retired, Van Orsdel was dean of university libraries at Grand Valley State University from 2005 to 2016. Under her leadership, GVSU libraries won the 2012 ACRL Excellence in Academic Libraries Award for universities and the 2014 State Librarian’s Excellence Award. Van Orsdel supplied the vision for Grand Valley’s new main library, which was designed by Stantec Architecture. The $65 million LEED Platinum project opened in June 2013 and has since welcomed almost four million visitors. A multi-faceted post-occupancy study by Steelcase Corporation confirmed that the vision was fully realized. In September, the library was named a New Landmark Library by Library Journal.