Litsey comes to TCU from Texas Tech University, where he served as associate dean of libraries, providing oversight for multi-library public services operations, large-scale budgets, personnel and strategic initiatives aligned with institutional priorities. His strengths include organizational transformation, faculty engagement, student success outcomes, fundraising and national professional leadership. He is a member of the Texas Education Policy Fellowship.

“I welcome Dr. Litsey to the TCU community. As a recognized leader and innovator in academic libraries, research impact, and digital transformation, he will propel our library to even greater heights as a premier resource hub for our students, faculty and staff,” said Floyd L. Wormley Jr, provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs.

Dr. Ryan Litsey
Photo courtesy of TCU

Among Litsey’s accomplishments are leading the relocation of more than 500,000 volumes to repurpose 75,000 sq. ft. for student-centered learning spaces; creating new scholarly service units for online learning and open educational resources, and securing public and private funding exceeding $1M in grants, gifts and administrative allocations.

“I look forward to continuing TCU’s tradition of library excellence and partnering with library staff and colleagues across campus to build on the library’s strong foundation while creating meaningful impact for students, faculty and the broader TCU community,” said Litsey. “Academic libraries are at a pivotal moment where innovation and tradition must work in tandem, and I believe the modern library should stand at the very center of that evolution. It must serve as both the intellectual and communal heart of the university: an engine for student success, a catalyst for faculty research and a bridge to the broader community.”

Litsey holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Research from Texas Tech University, a Master of Library and Information Studies from Florida State University, and a M.A. and B.A. in political science from California State University.

Litsey will join TCU on July 31, 2026. Provost Wormley has appointed Kristen Barnes, associate dean of the library, to provide oversight of the day‑to‑day operations of the Mary Couts Burnett Library from June 1 through July 30, 2026.

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