Blake Wilson selected as next director of KU Law’s Wheat Law Library

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas School of Law has selected Blake Wilson to be the director of the Wheat Law Library. Wilson brings nearly two decades of experience at KU Law to the role, having served in a variety of positions since joining the law library in 2007. His appointment as director became effective May 25.

“We’re pleased that Blake has been elevated to the director position,” said Dean Stephen Mazza. “His long history with the Wheat Law Library puts the institution in a great position moving forward.”

During his tenure, Wilson has held titles including instructional librarian, IT librarian, faculty services librarian and, most recently, assistant director. Wilson served as interim director until taking on this new role. His background spans technical services, reference, circulation and information technology.

“In many ways, I’ve held just about every type of position possible in a law library, which gives me a broad perspective on how all the pieces fit together to support students, faculty and the mission of the law school,” Wilson said. “It’s been a privilege to grow with this institution and now to serve as its director.”

Wilson steps into the role with a vision to strengthen the library’s core services while positioning it for future growth in digital access, legal research instruction and inclusive service. In the short term, he said he aims to ensure students, faculty and researchers have seamless access to the resources and support they need. Long term, he said he plans to expand the library’s digital collections, deepen engagement with faculty research and help prepare students for a profession increasingly shaped by technology and information literacy.

Wheat Law Library’s mission is to support the study, teaching and resource needs of the KU Law community. The library's resources comprise nearly 400,000 volumes, including microforms, more than 4,000 journals and advanced digital legal research resources. Its services include reference, teaching and other bibliographic assistance.

“The library has been through quite a lot of change recently. Since May 2022, we’ve seen the departure of three staff members who, collectively, had approximately 80 years’ experience working at Wheat Law Library. In fact, Blake and I are the only members of the current library staff who have been here longer than three years,” said Melissa Doebele, Wheat Law Library’s technical services manager. “With Blake’s knowledge of the law school, the library and its staff, I think we all know we’re in good hands. I fully expect him to excel in his new role.”

One of the initiatives Wilson said he is particularly excited about is the hiring of a new electronic services and emerging technologies librarian, a role that will bolster the library’s ability to support digital scholarship and legal research innovation. He also plans to enhance outreach efforts by building stronger connections with student organizations and faculty and strengthening collaboration with KU Libraries.

“What inspired me to take this next step in my career was the opportunity to serve a community I deeply value and to shape the future of legal information services at a school I care about,” Wilson said. “As someone who has worked closely with students, faculty and staff at KU Law, I’ve seen firsthand the impact that a responsive, forward-thinking law library can have. Stepping into the role of director felt like a natural extension of my commitment to access, innovation and collaboration in legal education. I’m excited to build on the Wheat Law Library’s strong foundation while leading it into its next chapter.”