“I like to tell people that it's the dream job I didn't know I could even dream of, let alone obtain,” says Matt Rosendahl, director of the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) Kathryn A. Martin Library.
Matt began his career as a library director in small-town Wisconsin, managing everything from storytime to shoveling sidewalks. After he earned his master’s in library science, he figured he’d stay in public libraries. “I really liked the way that I saw public libraries empower individuals and families.”
However, Matt cast the net wide when applying for jobs and accepted a position at what is now Northwood Technical College. “I could apply some of the things I liked about public libraries [like] creating opportunity for people [and] bring that into this tech college environment.”
Matt made the move to UMD in 2013. As library director at UMD, he supervises a team that delivers library services, plans events with internal and external partners, supports students and scholars in their research, and curates special collections. “Truly the best perk of this job is getting to work with this team here in this library,” he says.
It’s safe to say Matt’s team appreciates him, too. Based on their nomination, Matt received a 2025 President’s Award for Outstanding Service.
Centering Students
Matt’s least favorite season (at work, at least) is summer because it’s quiet on campus. Fortunately for him, renovations funded by a generous alumni gift are keeping him busy this year, but he still would rather have students around. “When the students are on break, I just miss that energy. [They’re] the whole reason we're here.”
Ahead of the renovations, UMD students got to choose the new furniture and carpet. “We provided all the options for what could fit based on University contracts, sustainability goals, and prices,” says Matt. The staff then set up displays where students could test the furniture, provide feedback, and vote for their favorites. The students’ top picks will be installed this summer.
Matt and his staff make sure to put students first in more ways than furniture decisions. “We try to be a highly responsive library to our students’ needs,” he says. To gather qualitative and quantitative data, Matt and the staff meet with student organizations, send surveys, and review library traffic patterns, adjusting offerings as needed. For example, Matt and the team decided to extend hours on Friday nights and add compost bins based on student feedback. Both the extended hours and the compost bins have been used and appreciated.
Creating Unforgettable Class Experiences
Library staff work with faculty to weave library resources into coursework. In one class, students work with Bibles and Qurans from the library’s Ramseyer-Northern Bible Society Collection, a collection of religious texts dating back to the 16th century. “Students annually build displays in our library about specific books, about the history of the printed book, about the way books were created, about the book as a work of art,” says Matt. “There's all kinds of cool ways that [faculty] use that special collection as an experiential education opportunity.”
Serving the Broader Community
Matt and library staff organize dozens of events yearly, including an upcoming book launch on September 18 for Her Place in the Woods: The Life of Helen Hoover, written by David Hakenson and published by University of Minnesota Press. The library houses Helen Hoover’s papers, which were valuable resources for Hakenson in writing the book. “It'll be both a book launch and a little bit of a celebration of our archives and special collections in honor of our [building’s] 25th anniversary,” says Matt.
Perhaps the library's most impressive event during Matt’s tenure was a visit from the Shakespeare First Folio. Washington, DC’s Folger Shakespeare Library chose one venue per U.S. state to host the historic book, which dates back to 1623 and features an iconic engraved portrait of the playwright. Matt worked on a team representing campus and community partners to put on a week-long Shakespeare celebration in Duluth, culminating in a Shakespeare-inspired concert by Duluth band Low. “The best of the University of Minnesota [is when] it involves the campus and the community,” says Matt.
“Looking Forward to the Future”
UMD welcomed new leadership in the past few years, including a new chancellor and provost, who Matt says have brought a new energy to campus. “I think what's exciting about [UMD] right now is the way we're coming together as a campus community,” says Matt. “There's a lot of excitement and momentum not just about what we can do, but who we're going to be as a campus. ... I am really looking forward to the future.”