Meigs native promoted at State Library of Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Meigs County native has been promoted to Associate State Librarian.

According to an announcement from the State Library of Ohio, Evan T. Struble has been promoted to Associate State Librarian for Library Development. Evan is now responsible for the administrative functions and programming activities for library development, including Ohio’s LSTA program, consultant services, public library statistics, and special projects. He has extensive experience in program planning and project management. He has dedicated his career to supporting the work of libraries and has a keen awareness of current and emerging trends in libraries and the library profession.

Since 2013, Evan has been a Library Consultant in Library Development at the State Library. In addition to his work with libraries in strategic planning and continuing education, Evan has coordinated leadership programs and initiatives such ILEAD USA – Ohio and Library Leadership Ohio. He has also been a co-administrator for Guiding Ohio Online, a program that began in collaboration with AmeriCorps and the Ohio Commission on Service and Volunteerism, and evolved to a competitive LSTA (Library Services and Technology Act) grant program to allow libraries in rural Ohio to hire a dedicated technology trainer for their library. Evan represents the State Library as a member the of national Continuing Education Coordinators group.

He joined the State Library staff in 2011 as Library Consultant, Information Systems and Technology. Evan managed and provided support to the State Library’s statewide resource sharing initiative, Ohio Libraries Share: MORE. Since 2009, he has also worked part-time at the Upper Arlington Public Library as a Library Associate in Media Services.

“Evan has solid experience and a broad knowledge of libraries gained through his work at the State Library, OhioNET, and 21 years in a variety of public library settings,” stated State Librarian Beverly Cain. “I’m certain this knowledge and experience will help Evan to excel in his new role as he works to continue and expand the work of the Library Programs and Development Division of the State Library.”

Evan has presented at numerous state and regional library conferences, and he is an active member of state and national library associations. He is currently serving on the Stonewall Book Awards Committee as a member of the American Library Association LGBT Roundtable.

“I’m excited and humbled to be the State Library of Ohio’s newest Associate State Librarian for Library Development,” expressed Evan. “The State Library has a great group of consultants, librarians, and library staff that only want the best for Ohio’s libraries. I love being part of an agency that gives back to the library community through grants, training, leadership programs, digital collections, and so much more, and I’m looking forward to developing new programs and initiatives in the future!”

In 2015, Evan was awarded the OLC Diana Vescelius Emerging Leader Award. He has served on the OLC Convention & Expo Committee since 2009 and Professional Development Committee since 2016. He has also served one or more years as a member of the OLC Adult Services Action Council, Certification Review Panel Committee, Library Education Committee, and Reference and Adult Services Committee.

Before joining the State Library staff, Evan was the Community Manager for OhioNET, a library membership organization in Columbus. Prior to that, he spent nearly seven years at the Westerville Public Library. While an undergraduate student, he worked in the Courtright Memorial Library at Otterbein College (now Otterbein University). Before moving to Central Ohio for college, Evan got his start at his hometown library, the Meigs County District Public Library in Pomeroy, Ohio.

Evan has a Master of Library and Information Science from Kent State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Communication and Journalism from Otterbein University.