History of UHCL Libraries

Karen Wielhorski became the executive director of the Alfred R. Neumann Library in May 2002. Wielhorski had a long history of leadership in academic libraries in the state of Texas, having come to UHCL from Stephen F. Austin State University, where she was the Associate Director for Information Services since 2001.

Photograph of UHCL Neumann Library Executive Director Karen Wielhorski, seated behind a desk in her office (undated).

During her tenure at UHCL, she guided Neumann Library through several major developments and programs. When NASA Johnson Space Center closed its internal technical library, Wielhorski oversaw the transfer of NASA government documents, reports, and books to Neumann Library’s holdings. As technology sectors improved in the 2000s, she guided Neumann Library towards a greater integrated usage of computers and the Internet for students and faculty. Wielhorski also assisted in the development of a new library for the UHCL at Pearland Campus, which opened in August 2010. During her tenure, UHCL Archives and Special Collections underwent a major renovation and expansion from 2012 to 2013. During the 2015-2016 academic year, she led the launch of Neumann Library’s first digital repository for digitized publications through the Texas Digital Library’s DSpace repository software. Wielhorski retired from UHCL in 2018.

Photograph of UHCL Neumann Library Executive Director Karen Wielhorski (undated).

Wielhorski served in the following professional roles between 1977 and 2001: Reference Librarian at San Jacinto College (1977-1978); Campus Librarian at Cypress-Fairbanks Campus of Houston Community College (1978-1983); Head of Central Services for Houston Community College Central College Library (1983-1991); Head of Central Reference Department for Texas A&M University (1991-1993); and Head of Reference Department for Stephen F. Austin State University (1993-2001). Karen Wielhorski received a BA and MA in English from Western Carolina University, and an MLS degree from the University of North Texas in 1977.  

Photograph of UHCL Neumann Library Executive Director Karen Wielhorski (undated).