Two out of the three inductees into the Wisconsin Library Hall of Fame in 2025 are Information School alumni: Marge Loch-Wouters MA’76 and Michael Gelhausen MA’76. The Wisconsin Library Hall of Fame inducts individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the improvement of library services across Wisconsin.
Marge Loch-Wouters was chosen “in recognition of her nearly 50 years of leadership, innovation, and unwavering dedication to youth services and librarianship in Wisconsin and beyond.”
“Marge transformed youth services at La Crosse Public Library and Elisha D. Smith Public Library in Menasha through visionary programming, thoughtful leadership, and a fierce commitment to children and families.”
Wisconsin Library Association (WLA)
Read more about Marge Loch-Wouters
Michael Gelhausen “built a legacy of strengthening libraries from the ground up—literally and figuratively—through visionary facility projects, technological innovation, legislative advocacy, and organizational leadership,” according to WLA.
“Mike was instrumental in shaping library service across Washington County. Over a decade of tireless work … he helped lead the 1986 county referendum that established countywide access. This achievement set the stage for decades of enhanced resource sharing and interlibrary collaboration.”
WLA
Read more about Michael Gelhausen
The induction of Marge Loch-Wouters and Michael Gelhausen into the Wisconsin Library Hall of Fame underscores the Information School’s commitment to, and long history of, training library and information leaders who make an impact across the state and far beyond.
Learn more about staying engaged with the community of Information School alumni around the world.