Last Thursday, the Toledo Lucas County Public Library Board of Trustees moved to appoint me as the permanent Executive Director/Fiscal Officer of the library. I’m humbled and honored to have the privilege of serving our library system and community in this new role. Our Trustees underwent the careful process of conducting a national search for our late director’s replacement — a process that was only made more difficult by the circumstances under which they had to do their work. I am indebted to them for the opportunity to show them, our staff, and our communities the leadership potential Clyde Scoles saw in me when he recruited me back to the area nearly five years ago. His legacy is strong here at TLCPL, and it’s my aim to build on it.
I don’t know if new director appointees typically get as many hugs from staff as I did last week, and I’m so grateful to have tremendous support from our front line, management, and administrative staff as I take the helm of our beloved institution. Similarly, I’m still trying to catch up with all the encouraging and celebratory emails, Facebook posts, and tweets from community members and industry colleagues who graciously supported my candidacy. It is, indeed, humbling to be only the tenth director of this library system in over 115 years, and I don’t take the charge lightly.
So, what can you expect under my leadership in the near future? During the past four years, Mr. Scoles had given me a lot of responsibility and freedom to explore what the future of TLCPL looks like and, surprise, it looks a lot like what it looks like today. The great programs and services you’ve come to expect from TLCPL will continue to grow and thrive while we also respond to new opportunities and challenges. I think that’s what allows public libraries to remain vibrant and relevant; they are rooted in history and tradition while also being flexible enough to think progressively about our role in the coming decades. Our Main Library renovation is a perfect example of that blend of tradition and progress, and I can’t wait to share it with everyone at the grand opening on Saturday, Sept. 28th.
Thank you to everyone who has welcomed me back to town since my return in 2015, and everyone who has supported an opportunity that will keep me here for many years to come. My wife and I are thrilled for our family to grow up right here where she and I met many years ago.
The writer, of Sylvania, is executive director, Toledo Lucas County Public Library.
First Published August 10, 2019, 4:00 a.m.
