Kansas State University names James Wiser as Dean of K-State Libraries

Kansas State University has named James Wiser as Dean of K-State Libraries, effective August 17, 2025. K-State partnered with Buffkin / Baker on the search.

As Dean of K-State Libraries, Wiser will provide strategic leadership and vision to support the university’s strategic initiatives and intellectual core. He will work closely with the president, provost, deans, and other senior leaders to advance the missions and goals of both the Library and the University through a shared commitment to education, research, teaching, and service. Wiser will collaborate with partners across the university’s three campuses and nine colleges to ensure library services are broadly aligned and synergistic, supporting the continued transformation of K-State Libraries into a hub for student research, academic excellence, and collaboration in a technology-rich environment.

Wiser joins from Abilene Christian University, where he served as Dean of Library Services and Educational Technology. There, he led the library’s evolution by increasing both internal and external funding and expanding the print and electronic collections budget by 30%. His previous roles include Director of Library Consortium at the Community College League of California, Manager of Library Relations and Sales Support at Sage, and Head of Graduate Campus Libraries at Pepperdine University. Wiser holds a bachelor’s degree from Harding University, an MBA from the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School, an MLS from Indiana University Bloomington, and an Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership and Policy.

Read K-State’s full announcement here: https://www.k-state.edu/news/articles/2025/06/wiser-named-dean-of-libraries.html