Otto came to Dartmouth in 1979 after leaving her library job at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and became the first female head of the College's library.
Jeffrey Horrell, Dean of Libraries and Librarian of the College, said that Otto's greatest strengths lay in her keen eye for talent and the close ties she built with her staff.
"She really looked for individuals that understood the public service mission of the libraries at Dartmouth," Horrell said. "She was really terrific at identifying people who really understood that mission and could work with others."
Horrell said that Otto's commitment to building an effective and close-knit staff helped her to accomplish much during her tenure at the College.
Horrell said Otto's legacy will be her foresight in recognizing the advantages of technology and her push to bring Dartmouth's historic library into an increasingly digitalized world.
"I think one of her greatest accomplishments was the understanding and implementation or adapting of emerging technologies," Horrell said.
"She wasn't interested in technology just for the sake of it but for how it really could help students and faculty secure information."
Cynthia Pawlek, an associate librarian at the College, said that Otto also became a role model for many women when she arrived at Dartmouth, only a few years after it had become co-educational.
"For me personally, to see a senior woman administrator at Dartmouth at that time was a wonderful thing," Pawlek said.
"She was very quick and smart, had a wonderful sense of humor and really trusted the intelligence of her staff."
Otto also volunteered in the Hanover community, serving as a trustee of the Howe Library Corporation from 1988 to 1996.
Ellen Lynch, assistant director of the Howe Library, described Otto as a "giant among librarians."
Horrell added that Otto will also be remembered by her co-workers for her modesty and willingness to let others take credit for projects she initiated.
"She gave a lot of recognition to her staff and the staff of the libraries when often the credit really belonged to her," Horrell said.
"She shared it and let others be in the spotlight. That is a rare quality."
Otto herself was recognized. A memorial service was held noon Dec. 15 at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Hanover, followed by a reception in Baker Library.
