Director

Gary Public Library Director                                                                     

November 26, 2011 - current 

Otis Alexander is the former director of Southeastern University Library (DC) and the Danville (VA) Public Library System, as well as the Associate Librarian at Cuttington University College (Republic of Liberia), and Head Librarian for the Virgin Islands Division of Libraries, Museums, and Archaeological Services at the Frederiksted Branch. 

He has also been a Public Services Librarian at Saint Paul’s College; and lecturer in the Arts & Science Division at the Danville Community College where he taught “Controversial Issues in Contemporary American Culture,” and “Introduction to African-American Studies.” In addition, he has taught the following courses, “20^th century American Poetry,” “Harlem Renaissance Literature,”  “Children’s Literature,” and “Research Skills.”

Alexander, who is an accomplished classical musician and storyteller, earned the BA in Urban Studies and music, and an MS in Media Science from the Federal City College now the University of the District of Columbia. He also received an ALA accredited MLS degree in Library & Information Science from Ball State University (Indiana). He studied at the Harvard Graduate School of Education Leadership Institute for Academic Librarians and Oberlin Conservatory of Music Institute for Voice Performance Pedagogy.

His doctorial dissertation at International University for Graduate Studies, “Public Library Services to Underrepresented Groups: Poor & Unemployed, Emphasizing Danville,  Virginia” appeared in Public Library Quarterly, (Volume 27 Issue 2 2008) as well as book chapters and articles appeared in Still Not Equal: Expanding Educational Opportunity in Society, Virginia Libraries, Scribner’s Encyclopedia of American Lives: The 1960s, African American National Biography, and ilovelibraries.org.