Ridgefield Library Names Brenda J. McKinley New Director
At the regular monthly board meeting October 17, the Ridgefield Library Association board voted unanimously to name Brenda J. McKinley the Director of the Library. Mrs. McKinley is presently Director at the Cyrenius H. Booth Library in Newtown, CT, which she joined in 1995 to carry out a series of other responsibilities involving reference, systems, technology and circulation. Until the mid ‘90s she was employed in various library specialties in New Fairfield, CT, Great Barrington, MA and at the Yale University School of Medicine. Mrs. McKinley is an honors biology MS/BS graduate of UConn-Storrs and earned a Masters in Library Science at Southern Connecticut State University.
Current Ridgefield Library Director Chris Nolan announced her retirement in February of this year, and will step down December 31 after 16 years of service. A seven-person search committee consisting of board and at-large members of the community spent over 8 months surveying Ridgefield attitudes and needs, coordinating its national outreach with a library recruitment firm, and winnowing 46 applicants to one. Speaking for the board, Chairman Dean Miller said, “After a nation-wide search, it turns out the best candidate was right in our own backyard! We are very excited to have Brenda join us to lead our Library and help develop its strategic plan and vision for the future. Her experience and leadership in Newtown, her passion and love for libraries, and her ability to create connections in the community make her the ideal candidate to build on the wonderful work Chris Nolan has done.”
Starting on January 2, Mrs. McKinley will be directing a staff of 42 full- and part-time paid staff who ensure that the Ridgefield Library is a vibrant intellectual and cultural gathering place, adapting to the changing needs of the community in an evolving world, and committed to delivering diverse and relevant programming. The Library employs a range of emerging and tested technologies and provides ready access to on-site and virtual collections. About 270,000 citizens a year cross the threshold of the three-year-old facility, while another 160,000 website visits lead patrons to the traditional media collections, on-line media, program reservations and other library tools. The Ridgefield Library annually partners with over 60 different community organizations to bring the best of Ridgefield to its 25,000 residents.
The vision of the Library is to be the centerpiece of Ridgefield, an essential partner and destination of choice for our community: the place where people go to read, discover, question, connect and thrive.