Successful Search for Library Director

I was pleased to participate this summer in the successful search for a new Executive Director for the Westchester (NY) Library System, a consortium of 38 public libraries where I serve as a trustee.

Appointed was Dr. Terry Kirchner, whose experience spans more than 15 years in various management positions at public and academic libraries. For the last three years, he served as Director for Access Services at Columbia University Libraries. There, he led and coordinated system-wide interaction between activities across 22 campus libraries, launched effective assessment and marketing programs, conducted ongoing strategic planning and implementation, and expanded the campus-wide
interlibrary loan operations.

In his prior position at The New York Public Library, Dr. Kirchner managed numerous public service operations, coordinated interlibrary loan operations across its major research centers and directed the inventory and relocation of over 2 million volumes to an offsite, high-density storage facility.

Skilled in fostering collaborative and cooperative team-based work groups, Dr. Kirchner earned his doctorate in Human and Organizational Systems from Fielding Graduate University. He holds an MBA in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Baruch College and an MLS degree from Rutgers University.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo