Randy Riley | |
|---|---|
 Riley in 2024 | |
| Born | (1962-09-21)September 21, 1962 Ionia, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | January 3, 2026(2026-01-03) (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 2014–2025.
Background
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
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
- ^ a b c d "East Lansing, MI". Dignity Memorial. 1962-09-21. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
- ^ a b "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.
- ^ a b "State Librarian/State Librarian's Excellence Award". State of Michigan. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
- ^ a b c d e 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.
- ^ a b "Veteran Librarian Randy Riley Selected as the Next State Librarian of Michigan". State of Michigan. 2014-04-28. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
