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Herman Totten is known among his colleagues and students as a gifted administrator and exceptional teacher. The comments below are from University of North Texas faculty, administrators, students, and staff.

"Dr. Totten is extremely supportive of the students in the SLIS program at UNT. Before I started here, I called the main (SLIS) office with some questions, and  had apparently misunderstood some things on the (SLIS Web) site. Dr. Totten called me back and gave me the information I needed. His personal attention influenced me to choose UNT over the other available programs.
-- Didi Bowen, TA and Graduate Student at UNT SLIS

"Dr. Totten has been a mentor and teacher to information professionals across the country. Through his efforts, I was recruited and offered a tenure track teaching position at the University of North Texas (UNT). His advice, support, and words of encouragement have helped me to continue to improve my teaching, writing, and knowledge base. I am one of many library and information professionals from diverse backgrounds who owe much of their professional success to Dr. Totten."
-- Yvonne Chandler, PhD, Associate Professor, UNT

"Occasionally we have the blessing of knowing and sharing life with a few exceptional people. It is a rare event, but it happened with Herman Totten. We first met Herman in the fall of 1977 when Don joined the faculty at the University of North Texas, along with Herman. 1988, Ana moved to UNT and the three of us became colleagues on the same faculty. Herman has always had the ability to excite us about tasks and issues that otherwise would seem ordinary. This ranges from the everlastingly chore of curriculum revision to faculty governance, to being relevant to the professional community, to taking seriously professional hot-spot issues, and to selecting a restaurant for after hours fellowship. There is no need to make a long list of Herman's achievements, since that is public record. What is obvious from the record is his dedicated professionalism, hard work, enthusiasm and intelligent leadership. He has taught us to be tolerant, diverse and inclusive in any given situation.  He taught us to deal with differences of opinion among colleagues and he gave us direction on how to work together toward the goals of the organization. It is these tested sterling qualities that will make him an outstanding ALA president."
-- Don and Ana Cleveland, PhDs, Professors, UNT

"Herman Totten is one of a handful of people who have had a lasting, positive influence on both my teaching career and my personal life. His no-nonsense counsel always enables me to improve my teaching and realize that I can always do more and better. His exuberance and joyful approach to life always lift my spirits when life seems to be treating me badly. He is one of the few people who can always make me laugh. I shall always treasure the friendship he has shown me through the years. I know that he has touched hundreds if not thousands of other people in the same way."
-- John Corbin, Ph.D, UNT/SLIS Professor Emeritus

"Dr. Totten is one of the most elegant, effervescent, and visionary people I have come to know in my short-time as a professor and my longer-tenure as a university administrator and library manager. What fascinates me most about him are two things:  his historical memory and a true gift to tell stories based upon his recollections. Meet him once, and you'll never forget him. Meet him twice and you'll hear a story, for sure!"
-- Elizabeth Figa, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of North Texas, and a storytelling nut

“Dr. Totten has truly been a leader in all areas of librarianship.  I first met him 20 years ago when he taught a management class at UNT and have followed his career as he mentored others.  I am now trying to fill his shoes as Associate Dean at the University of North Texas School of Library and Information Sciences (UNT SLIS) and can tell you firsthand that he is a remarkable man.  His influence is wide-reaching.  He is fair.  He is ethical.  He will be a great leader and representative of all types of libraries as President of ALA.”
-- Arlita Hallam, PhD, Associate Dean, UNT SLIS

"Herman Totten is one of the major reasons I am a member of this fine faculty.  He has served as mentor, friend and advisor so many times.  I can't imagine a world without Dr. Totten lighting the way to excellence.  He has more class in his little finger than most of us can dream of.  He works indefatigably to help students and libraries — the best of all combos!"
-- Samantha Hastings, PhD, Associate Professor, UNT, President-Elect of the American Society for Information Science and Technology

"If I get to Heaven, the first thing I plan to do is look up Jeanette Shorter Simms, Herman's grandmother. She is the one who has two tombstones, one with the birth date she claimed and one put up later by her former husband with the real date. I've heard about Mrs. Simms over the 25 years of Herman's and my friendship. Not only do I think she would be the most interesting one up there, but I'd like to check out a few things with her. I'm sure she was the one who clued him in on gathering a harem around him to "help" with his many projects? But mainly I want to thank her for the role she played in giving me one of the dearest friends of my lifetime."
---Margaret Nichols -- The Oldest Living UNT Graduate

"Although I have known him for over a decade, it didn't take me long to realize that Dr. Totten's interest in people and in the information profession is genuine. He has always been able not only to convey his ideas with clarity but also to bring them to fruition with a cunning ability to lead. As his student and as his colleague, he has earned my respect and I value his advice both at a professional level and at a personal level. I consider myself fortunate to have known him."
-- Guillermo Oyarce, PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Library and Information Sciences, University of North Texas

"Dr. Herman Totten is the ideal candidate to lead any organization. He has an innate ability to immediately identify key issues and individuals, to coordinate resources and to achieve the desired objectives. He accepts any challenge without hesitation and is able to analyze alternatives quickly and address the issues efficiently and diplomatically. As Faculty Executive Assistant to the President, his talents have proven invaluable to me. Dr. Totten's positive leadership is contagious and continues to be a great asset to the University of North Texas."
-- Norval F. Pohl, President, University of North Texas

"When I think of Herman Totten, the first word that comes to mind for my treasured friend and colleague is supportive. In the decade I have known him, I have found him to be unfailingly concerned, helpful, and upbeat. He is what I call a people person, a person who truly enjoys and cares about people. He has always been passionate about issues such as diversity and salary, and I have seen him go to bat for people time and again when he perceived any kind of inequity. He is totally dedicated to the advancement of libraries and their workers, and will make an ideal president for ALA."
-- Linda Schamber, PhD, Associate Professor, University of North Texas

"As a current student in the SLIS Master's Program at UNT, I have been privileged to have Dr. Totten twice as an instructor. His care and concern for the students in the program exemplify his dedication to the library profession and to the millions of library users who benefit from good librarians. He is a charismatic leader who would provide a solid focus to the ALA and I would heartily endorse him for the President of this organization.
-- Sharon R. Swain, LA II, UTEP Library; Student, UNT SLIS

(Concerning Dr. Totten's promotion from the School of Library and Information Sciences (SLIS) Associate Dean to Faculty Executive Assistant to the President September 2002) "I am proud that Dr. Totten has been selected for this important position but am sad that I will lose his advice and assistance that have proven so valuable for me."
-- Philip Turner, EdD, UNT/SLIS Dean

"His character and principles are beyond reproach. He constantly strives to live the ideals and values that he espouses and teaches. To put it in the vernacular, 'he walks the talk.' He is one of the most truly honest people I have ever met."
-- Unnamed Student, when nominating Totten for the Melvil Dewey Medal

"One of Dr. Totten's greatest gifts is his ability to get the best out of everyone around him; whether they are his students, his colleagues, or an individual or group that he has just met. He is an outstanding motivator, and he elicits this motivation so naturally that all around him find themselves giving 110% without conscience effort. He shows two traits common in great leaders in that all that work with him both respect him and like him; the respect is a given and affection is unavoidable.
-- Randy Wallace, Librarian I, UNT Science & Technology Library