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Megan Dotzler Named Director, Mary Riley Styles Public Library, City of Falls Church

Megan Dotzler Named Director, Mary Riley Styles Public Library, City of Falls Church
Megan Dotzler will be the new Library Director at Mary Riley Styles Public Library. Courtesy City of Falls Church.

Falls Church City Manager Wyatt Shields announced Sept 24, that – in consultation with the Library Board of Trustees – Megan Dotzler has been hired as the new Library Director for Mary Riley Styles Public Library (MRSPL) at 120 N. Virginia Ave. in the City of Falls Church.  

"I am pleased to welcome Megan Dotzler to the City of Falls Church team," said Shields. “It was clear through the recruitment process that Megan Dotzler will bring deep experience and a welcoming 'people first' mindset to leading the Mary Riley Styles Public Library.”  

Mary Riley Styles Public Library. Courtesy BKV Group.

Dotzler joins MRSPL from the Arlington Public Library in Arlington, Virg., where she was head of Central Library's Youth Services and before that Branch Manager for Arlington’s Aurora Hills location. Prior to Dotzler’s time with Arlington, she served as Assistant Director of the Memorial Library in Acton, Massachusetts. Dotzler earned her dual master's degree in Children’s Literature and Library Science from Simmons College in Massachusetts. 

“I am thrilled for the opportunity to serve in a city with a strong sense of community and love for their library. The Mary Riley Styles Public Library is an invaluable part of the City for its beautiful building and wonderful collections and, most importantly, the excellent library staff, volunteers, Foundation, and trustees,” said Dotzler. She continued, “I am honored to be working with, learning from, and leading such an incredible group of people. I look forward to learning more about the city and the vibrant community here. Thank you for welcoming me to the City of Falls Church.”  

Mary Riley Styles Public Library at 120 Virginia Ave., City of Falls Church. Wikipedia Commons.

This announcement follows a comprehensive recruitment campaign for the new Library Director. A panel of City staff and Library Board members interviewed five finalists and provided the City Manager with input and recommendations in the selection process. 

Marshall Webster has been serving as Interim Library Director since September and will continue in this role until Dotzler assumes office Oct. 7. Courtesy MRSPL.

Marshall Webber has been serving as the Interim Library Director since Sept. 2023 and will continue in this role until Dotzler assumes office Oct. 7, 2024.  “I am grateful to Marshall for serving as Interim Director for almost a year,” added Shields. “Marshall is a mainstay of the library – supportive, kind, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable – and I know I speak for all of us in the library community in our appreciation for his dedication and leadership.”


For more library-related articles from The Falls Church Independent, see below:

Falls Church Graphic Artist’s First Show Through Public Library Incubator Program
Wouldn’t it be a more creative world if our public libraries helped showcase local artists’ works? Well, the Arlington County Public Library system does just that through its new arts program – The Incubator.…
Falls Church’s Public Library Strengthens Policies Against Censorship
Are you concerned about the waves of book-banning across the nation and in Virginia? Could they be coming soon to the Mary Riley Styles Public Library in the City of Falls Church?
Book-Banning, Part II: The Response from Nearby Falls Church Libraries
In our last article, The Falls Church Independent explored how widespread – often politically motivated – book-banning efforts in Virginia and across the nation might impact Mary Riley Styles Public Library, the sole public library in the City of Falls Church.

By The Falls Church Independent