Lemke selected to succeed Betcher as next director of Rochester Public Library

The Rochester Public Library will have a familiar face leading the organization come later this month.

On Wednesday, the city announced Karen Lemke as the new director of the library. Lemke has headed up communications for RPL since 2015.

“I am honored and humbled to be selected as the next Library Director at Rochester Public Library,” said Lemke. “The library has a long history of being innovative to meet community goals, and a strong, community-driven strategic plan. Most importantly, RPL has a kind, compassionate team that is dedicated to doing impactful work in Rochester.”

Lemke will succeed Audrey Betcher, who is retiring after more than 20 years of leading the library. In her new role, Lemke will be responsible for directing the overall business operation of RPL.

Prior to coming to Rochester, Lemke served as the public relations and program director for Pine River Library in Bayfield, Colo. She holds a master’s in library and information science from Clarion University.

Lemke is the second new department head introduced this week. On Tuesday, the city announced that Avital Rabinowitz will be brought on to be the next general manager of Rochester Civic Music.

Cover photo: Karen Lemke / Submitted