PORT HADLOCK — Tamara Meredith has been named the new director of the Jefferson County Library.
Meredith, who currently works as the educational technology specialist at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, will join the library at 620 Cedar Ave. in Port Hadlock on Oct. 9. She will work with the present director, Meredith Wagner, until Wagner retires Oct. 31.
“We wanted a leader who has a vision for how the library will build upon and advance the extraordinary work done by our current director, Meredith Wagner,” said Sylvia White, chair of the library board.
The new director “has a commitment to the library’s core values and purpose, and a capacity to strategically guide the organization forward,” White said. “The board has great confidence she will develop rich and meaningful relationships with the library’s customers and our partners in the community.”
Meredith, 40, has more than 15 years’ experience in public school and academic libraries. She has held positions as the director of a public library in Colorado, department head at the University of Wyoming libraries and spent four years as a K-5 library/technology teacher.
“I am thrilled to have been selected as the next director of the Jefferson County Library, and I am really looking forward to serving a community that is so devoted to its library,” Meredith said.
“Library staff is already providing top-notch services and programs, and I intend to fully support that good work as well as expand the library’s reach even further through innovative services.”
Meredith, who was born and raised in Western Washington, earned a doctorate in learning technologies from the University of North Texas and holds master’s degrees in library and information science from the University of North Texas and in music-historical performance from Indiana University. She earned a bachelor’s in music and music performance from Central Washington University.
Meredith mentioned two projects she plans to pursue in her new role.
Staff space is cramped, she said, despite expansion in 2013.
“The remodel did a wonderful job of dealing with library collections, service points and meeting rooms, but spaces for staff members are still pretty cramped,” she said, saying she will work toward better uses of the space or possible expansion.
Also, “many of the library programs attract more than can fit into the meeting room, so one of the things we’ll be working toward is livestreaming programs or providing other venues,” she said.
Wagner is retiring after 27 years with the library.
She began her career in 1990 as the assistant to Library Director Judy Gunter and served as the associate director under Library Director Ray Serebrin from 2002-13.
She and Serebrin worked together on the library remodel completed in 2013.
Wagner led the project to upgrade the bookmobile in 2015.
In addition to working in and managing libraries, Meredith has presented and published on topics dealing with technology integration, use and training.
She focuses on using technology to solve problems and improve equitable access to resources for learning, and is passionate about the role that public libraries play in these areas.
For more about the library, see www.jclibrary.info or call 360-385-6544.
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Executive Editor Leah Leach can be reached at 360-417-3530 or at lleach@peninsuladailynews.com.
