In Memory of Tom Bielavitz

Tom Bielavitz joined Portland State University Library in 2006. Before becoming the dean, he served as Assistant University Librarian for Administrative Services, Planning, and Digital Initiatives. He earned a Master of Library and Information Science from Drexel University, Philadelphia, in 2005. He began his library career in 1993, first working in Blackwell’s Book Services distribution center in Blackwood, N.J. and then in its U.S. headquarters in Lake Oswego. He was named Interim Dean of the Library in 2018 and was named Dean July 1, 2019. He passed away in July 2020 after a long illness.

Tom was a strong and compassionate leader, a champion of the Library, and a kind and thoughtful soul who consistently elevated his colleagues and the students of Portland State. An advocate for student success and access, Tom was a leader in bringing Open Educational Resources to Portland State, saving students hundreds of thousands dollars in textbook fees every year. In his final years at PSU, he led the effort to develop a collaborative space for graduate students at the Library. He truly embraced PSU’s mission to serve and lived it in his own service to the university through his innovation in information technology, diversity action and administrative leadership.