Batavia's longtime library director retiring June 9

The Batavia Public Library's longtime Executive Director George H. Scheetz is retiring June 9, after 18 years as its top administrator.

Scheetz is known for his love of libraries, passion for local history and zest for projects that bring community members together, according to the library.

He also takes special pride in the success of three initiatives he launched during his tenure:

• PechaKucha Night, which began in 2015 as informal gatherings where people come together and share their ideas, works and anything else they are passionate about.

• "The Year of Mark Twain in Batavia," in 2019, a yearlong, communitywide celebration in honor of the 150th anniversary of Samuel L. Clemens' 1869 visit to Batavia.

• Bulldogs Unleashed, which Scheetz proposed to the Batavia Public Library Foundation in 2010 as a community event and fundraising project.