Kathy Tezla died on May 6th after a long battle with cancer. Kathy came to Carleton in 1999, serving as the first Head of Collection Development for Gould Library until 2014. She worked closely with academic departments and individual faculty members to develop the library collection in support of the College’s curriculum. She also developed the library’s first policies for the systematic collection of electronic resources. In both of these endeavors she began formal coordination of our collection and policies with those of the St. Olaf Library. In addition to her work here at Carleton, she continued her national professional involvement and served on numerous American Library Association Committees.
Kathy was very proud of her Hungarian heritage, made many trips to Hungary throughout her life, and maintained both personal and academic connections with Hungarian friends and colleagues. These interests and connections led to her research on the immigrant experience of Hungarian women in the United States.
Kathy was very friendly, outgoing, and welcoming. In more recent years as she struggled with cancer, she reached out to other cancer patients offering care and support. A more complete obituary can be found at the Benson and Langehough Funeral Home website.
A service in memory of Kathy will be held on Saturday, June 4th, at 11am at Bethel Lutheran Church here in Northfield. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service and a lunch reception will follow.
Please keep all of Kathy’s family and friends in your thoughts and prayers.
In sorrow,
Carolyn
Comments
I have already been missing Kathy since she retired from her position at our Library. We experienced arriving at Carleton and in Northfield together in early September, 1999, since we shared a real estate agent and became friends through that connection. Kathy's energy, her dedication to continually enhancing our resources in Gould Library, and her passion for delving into and sharing her Hungarian heritage will always be an inspiration. I hope that her dog Abbey makes a good transition - thinking of her, as well.
I met Kathy for the first time when I started teaching here in 2001. She has been helpful to me since until she retired some years ago. I did not know about her illness and I am very sorry to hear that she has passed away. I was thinking of her while I worked at the library yesterday. She will very much be missed.
I worked with Kathy for a number of years on book aquisitions in the humanities at Gould Library. She was always generous, kind, humble, cheerful and exceedingly helpful. I always enjoyed seeing and talking to Kathy and I am grateful to have had the chance to have worked with her. My deepest sympathies to her family.