Honoring the Life of Dr. Ken Ferstl

Dr. Ken Ferstl Profile Pic

The College of Information offers condolences to the family, friends and former students of Dr. Ken Ferstl. Dr. Ferstl died on September 20, 2018 in Denton, TX.  He taught in the Library Science Department and School at the University of North Texas for more than 20 years.  In 1969, Ferstl was appointed an instructor in the School of Library & Information Sciences and was on the faculty until his retirement. Ferstl spent some time away from Denton in the early 1970’s when he left to study at Indiana University Bloomington where he earned his Ph.D. in Library Science (1977).  

Dr. Ferstl specialties in librarianship were cataloging and classification, public libraries, and young adult services.  He was particularly active in the Texas Library Association, serving as Program Co-Chair for several of the annual conferences. He was a recipient of the UNT School of Library and Information Sciences Outstanding Alumni Award in 1989.  Dr. Ferstl retired after an illness in 1992.  In 2005 the creation of the Kenneth L. Ferstl Scholarship was announced.  This scholarship is awarded to students pursing classification, adult services or public libraries specializations. 

His colleagues described him as “just delightful,” and each year he was the hit of the Alumni Dinner at the Texas Library Association Annual Conference.  He was popular with the student body and graduates. Dr. Ferstl married his devoted wife Sondra Mueller Ferstl, while studying in at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the late sixties. They were a devoted couple and were married from 1967 until her death in 2012.  A graveside service for Dr. Ferstl will be held at 3:00 PM Thursday, October 4, 2018 at Roselawn Memorial Park, Denton.