Heidi M. Daniel, executive director of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County since July 18, 2012, will be leaving this position in mid-July to take the helm at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore.
HEIDI M. DANIEL“Five years ago, during the search for a new library director, we recognized the tremendous potential in Heidi Daniel,” said Board President Dr. David Ritchie. “The past five years have shown us that we made the right decision. We have seen Heidi Daniel in action as a dynamic, professional, trend-setting Library Director who enriched our community and created momentum that will continue to move this library system forward for years to come. So having to say ‘good-bye’ is difficult.”
Daniel, the 2015 Ohio Librarian of the Year, currently oversees 15 libraries in the Mahoning County library system. During her tenure, she worked on several major building projects, including construction of the Canfield, Tri-Lakes, and Michael Kusalaba branch libraries, and the renovation of Boardman Library. She started innovative new services, including fine-free cards tailored to use by kids and teens, a Pop-Up Library service in schools and at off-site locations, and the circulation of mobile Wi-Fi hotspots. She came to Youngstown from the Houston Public Library.
“For the past five years, I’ve been so happy to be serving a community that continues to say, ‘I Love My Library!’ And over those years, I’ve realized that a piece of my heart has been and will always be here in the Mahoning Valley,” said Daniel. “It has been my pleasure to serve this community. And it’s been an honor to contribute to this wonderful library system. No matter the challenges, the rewards have been greater. This has been more than a job for me. It’s been a chance to share the enthusiasm I have for libraries with a great community. The Library has made strong partnerships, provided new and innovative services, presented our area with beautiful new libraries. While I’m looking forward to my next position, I am also touched by our community and will miss it.”
“Heidi Daniel has the perfect combination of vision and talent to lead the Pratt into the changing library world. She has a wealth of experience in meeting the challenges and opportunities of urban libraries,” said Enoch Pratt Board Chair Pat Lasher. “I am thrilled the B
oard has selected a new CEO with Ms. Daniel’s credentials and experience. She is joining the library at a time of exciting growth and expansion, and I look forward to working with her to fulfill those opportunities,” added Gordon Krabbe, Interim Pratt CEO.
“It’s not surprising that a library of the stature of Enoch Pratt would extend an offer to someone as talented as Heidi Daniel, seeing in her those same qualities that our Board of Trustees recognizes. As much as we would like to hold onto her, we are thrilled to see her advance in this way. We hope the entire community shares our pride in our local library director who just received an enormous honor. She chose to come to Mahoning County for her first Library system directorship. We were fortunate to have brought on such an accomplished and knowledgeable person. And it reflects well on our staff, our trustees, our library patrons, and our community, that she also chose us,” said Ritchie.
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