DMPL Director Susan A. Woody To Retire on June 30

After 21 years of public service, Des Moines Public Library Director Susan A. Woody has announced she is retiring. Her last day at the library will be Monday, June 30.

Woody, a Des Moines native, has served as Library Director since June 2018. During that time, she has overseen several successful projects, including

• Increasing access for patrons across the community by eliminating late fines on accounts.
• Creating and implementing a 4-year strategic plan to guide the library through the future.
• Steering the library through the Covid pandemic and its aftermath, including the creation of new services to help patrons utilize the library during that time.
• Increasing library hours, including more nights at every branch and additional Sunday hours at Franklin Avenue Library and Central Library.
• Improving social services through partnerships and programs like the Outreach Project and the library’s community fridges.
• Modernizing the library’s services with the introduction of the Library of Things and Tech Central.

“Sue has ensured we all have access to a diverse collection of physical and digital materials and has expanded the programming available across all of the branches,” says Tim Hickman, Des Moines Public Library Board of Trustees President. “Sue led the library through the challenges of the pandemic, and the system became stronger in the process. We can never adequately thank her for her vision, passion, and leadership as director of the libraries.”

Woody began her library career in 2004 as a Library Assistant in Youth Services. She eventually became Rosie Outreach Coordinator, delivering library books and services to children across Des Moines. Prior to being named Library Director in 2018, Woody also spent time as the branch manager at two branches and as the Community Outreach Librarian, where she, among other duties, oversaw the Authors Visiting in Des Moines (AViD) series.

“The library means something different to everyone who walks through our doors,” says Woody. “It has been an honor to meet the needs of our ever-changing community and provide them with what they need, when they need it.”

Hickman says the Board of Trustees anticipates conducting a nationwide search to find the next Des Moines Public Library Director.