After more than 30 years in academic library leadership, Gale Etschmaier will retire in June as dean of University Libraries at Florida State University. Since arriving in 2018, she has helped shape the Libraries into vibrant, modern spaces that serve the entire FSU community.

Etschmaier brought experience from several universities but said FSU stood out for its connection to the community and its impact on students. She sees the library as “a center of intellectual community where students feel they belong.”

“The more I learned about Florida State University, the more I realized it is that kind of institution — it is absolutely anchored in the community,” she said. “It’s the kind of university that changes lives and improves the economics of the local region, the state and the country, and I am so happy that I came to Florida State. It has been such an incredible experience.”

Etschmaier expanded community service and impact at FSU by listening to students and faculty and leading innovations in service, technology and engagement. Her vision called for revitalizing physical spaces where she oversaw a makeover of the second floor of Strozier Library, which became a top space for students to study and collaborate. She also modernized the Libraries A/V technology with a new projector system, screens and cameras. She enhanced the Robert B. Bradley Reading Room for presentations and lectures.

“Our Libraries are incredibly important to the university, and Dean Etschmaier has done an exceptional job in transforming them into centers of innovation and community engagement. We are sad to see her retire, but we are immensely grateful for her contributions and congratulate her on her upcoming and well-deserved retirement.”

— FSU President Richard McCullough

“Our Libraries are incredibly important to the university, and Dean Etschmaier has done an exceptional job in transforming them into centers of innovation and community engagement,” said FSU President Richard McCullough. “We are sad to see her retire, but we are immensely grateful for her contributions and congratulate her on her upcoming and well-deserved retirement.”

Etschmaier is recognized for her student-centered initiatives such as “Art in the Library,” which displays artwork by students and faculty, and pop-up concerts. These efforts enhance the library experience for visitors, elevate the visibility of the arts at FSU, and provide invaluable professional development opportunities for the student body.

She worked with faculty and librarians to cancel the Elsevier subscription package, saving FSU Libraries $1 million annually. This allowed resources to be redirected toward essential collections. Her advocacy resulted in the first budget increase for library collections in over 15 years.

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A Florida State University Libraries program, Art in the Library, is partnering with Opening Minds Through Art (OMA) for an exhibition featuring artwork created by older adults living with dementia as part of the OMA program. 

“Opening Minds through Art: Building Bridges” will be on display through August in the Robert Manning Strozier Library, with an opening reception at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29, in the Art in the Library gallery on the third floor. 

“OMA’s work brings together both our student and Tallahassee communities and is indeed something to be celebrated. Art in the Library is thrilled to highlight their good work with our program.”

— Leah Sherman, chair of Art in the Library

“The mission of OMA is to build bridges across age and cognitive barriers through art, which Art in the Library aims to celebrate with this exhibition,” said Leah Sherman, chair of Art in the Library. “OMA’s work brings together both our student and Tallahassee communities and is indeed something to be celebrated. Art in the Library is thrilled to highlight their good work with our program.” 

The Claude Pepper Center facilitates artwork created by individuals living with dementia by pairing Florida State University undergraduates with dementia patients at two separate facilities. While patients create art, students serve as mentors and friends rather than collaborators. During their time together, the students and patients build rapport and form close one-on-one relationships. 

Research shows that OMA benefits those living with memory diseases by providing patients with more expressions of pleasure, greater engagement with the world around them, and overall improved well-being.

FSU alumna and former OMA intern Lea Serrano has worked closely with patients and found this opportunity enriching for both herself and her participants. She observes that participants become more comfortable and confident with each passing week, thanks to the support and guidance provided by the program. 

“The entire reason why I joined OMA was to reconnect with this demographic of people, individuals with Alzheimer’s and dementia,” she said. “Every session I feel like I am learning something new or just a new way to interact with somebody with dementia in a more effective manner.” 

OMA was developed by gerontologists at the Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University.  

The exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information, visit https://claudepeppercenter.fsu.edu/opening-minds-through-art/. 

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The Art in the Library Program at Florida State University Libraries presents an art exhibition celebrating 200 years of Tallahassee history from the perspective of university students.

The exhibition, “200 Years of Tallahassee: A View from Florida State,” will be held on the third floor of the Robert Manning Strozier Library through December commemorating Tallahassee’s Bicentennial. There will be a reception for the exhibition from 2-4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20, with food provided for those in attendance.

The exhibit will depict the history of Tallahassee and showcase art created by FSU students celebrating the university’s culture. The displayed works will include digitally edited photographs and dynamic paintings.

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