ITHACA, N.Y. — Ten months after the resignation of its last permanent leader, the Tompkins County Public Library (TCPL) will have a new director.
Longtime Tucson, Ariz. based librarian Emerson DeMeester-Lane will head the library starting Jan. 12, per a statement released Tuesday.
DeMeester-Lane, a New York native, said in a statement he planned to begin his leadership with an emphasis on listening to patron and staff concerns.
“Because I have so much to learn, it’s important for me to meet with as many community members as possible,” DeMeester-Lane wrote.
DeMeester-Lane’s arrival also comes amid ongoing labor contract negotiations between library management and the union that represents the library’s roughly 40 librarians and support staff. Some library staff have in recent weeks expressed frustration with what they see as a lack of progress on negotiations.
DeMeester-Lane said community members and staff should soon be able to sign up to meet with him one-on-one to share any concerns or requests.
The library’s last director, Leslie Tabor, resigned in March amid backlash after a series of controversial decisions, like a massive book culling program, divided staff and library partners. Some library staff also blamed the changes for a near 50% employee turnover rate over the previous director’s two year tenure.
DeMeester-Lane will leave a job at the Pima County Public Library, a library system with some 27 branches across the city of Tucson, where he has worked since 2008. He has worked in varying managerial and supervisory roles within the Tucson-area library system since 2012.
DeMeester-Lane currently helps manage about 350 employees across the 27 branches of the Pima County Public Library, per the statement. He has also been involved with several expansions, capital projects and efforts to “enhance diversity, equity and inclusion in library service enhancements and strategic planning.”
Outside of his job at the library, he is also involved with outreach and advocacy work supporting the LGBTQ community.
The Pima County Public Library has faced challenges and changes of its own in recent years. The Arizona library system has struggled to hire and retain employees despite increases in pay and benefits. As in Tompkins County, Pima County’s library staff have seen their roles shift as patrons’ needs move beyond simple book finding to also include assistance with social services.
Tompkins County Public Library board of directors praised DeMeester-Lane’s “years of progressive leadership experience, commitment to thoughtful public service, and vision” as well as his “calm and measured approach to problem-solving and conflict resolution.”
In the Dec. 16 statement, DeMeester-Lane said he and his wife are looking forward to relocating to Ithaca. DeMeester-Lane’s wife also appears to work in leadership at the Pima County Public Library.
Board members also thanked the other finalist for the role, Susie Gutenburger-Fitzpatrick. Gutenberger currently serves as the executive director of the Lansing Community Library and is a member of the town board for the Town of Ithaca.
Interim library director Kat Savage will return to her previous role of Youth Services Director following the leadership transition. Savage is the second person to serve as the library’s interim director during the nation-wide search. Initially, retired TCPL director and former Tompkins County Legislator Susan Currie took up the mantle, resigning her county legislature seat in the process.
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