KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Great Bend native Bonnie Postlethwaite has been appointed as Dean of University Libraries at University of Missouri - Kansas City for a two-year term, effective July 1. As the current associate dean of libraries with a long history of administrative service and an extensive knowledge of UMKC and its complex libraries’ system, Postlethwaite is particularly well suited for this appointment, said Gail Hackett, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs.
Since coming to UMKC in 2006, Postlethwaite has provided leadership, strategic direction and administrative oversight for University Libraries operations, including the Miller Nichols Library, which houses the LaBudde Special Collections and Marr Sound Archives and the Music Media Library, the Health Sciences Library (Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy) and the Dental Library.
Among her accomplishments as Associate Dean, Postlethwaite has led the development of the University Libraries strategic plan and its implementation. She has worked with the dean of libraries and library directors to create and manage the annual budget and has provided leadership to divisional directors for operation management and planning. Postlethwaite has participated in the planning teams for the library additions and renovations and has managed the impact of construction projects on library operations.
In addition, she has served as principal investigator on two successful grants for collections in the Marr Sound Archives: a $500,000 grant to catalog transcription discs in the Gold in Collection and a $127,536 National Endowment of the Humanities grant to catalog and preserve KMBC radio transcription discs.
Before coming to UMKC, Postlethwaite was associate dean of Information Services (2000-2005) at Baker University, and associate vice president of IS (2005-2006). From 1991-2000, she was the director of University Library Technology Services at Tufts University in Medford, Mass.
Postlethwaite is the daughter is Arlon and Eleanora Postlethwaite of Great Bend. Postlethwaite also  has three brothers, Gerald “JP” Postlethwaite and wife Debbie of Great Bend, Darrell Postlethwaite and wife Susan of Lawrence, and Mike Postlethwaite and wife Brenda of Lindsey Okla.  Postlethwaite graduated from Great Bend High School in 1969.