News from Burlington Public Library
Library Board announces new chief executive officer
Burlington, ON – It is with great pleasure that Burlington Public Library Board Chair, Brian Kenny, announces the appointment of Lita Barrie to the position of Chief Executive Officer, effective June 4, 2018.
“Lita brings to Burlington a strong background in arts and cultural leadership, customer service excellence, and innovation in libraries,” says Kenny. “We are excited by her aspirations for the public library in our community and delighted that she accepted our offer to lead Burlington Public Library.”
The Burlington Public Library Board retained the professional services of Legacy Executive Search Partners to assist in a national search for the new Chief Executive Officer.
A lifelong lover of literature and reading, Ms Barrie welcomes this opportunity to serve the local community as part of the Library’s team of devoted staff and Board members.
“Burlington Public Library’s reputation for excellence and engagement is broadly known,” says Lita Barrie, in-coming chief executive officer. “I am so thrilled to continue the Library’s commitment to innovation and to providing stellar library services and programs to serve this wonderful city.”
Ms Barrie has progressively advanced in senior positions since starting her professional librarian career as a bilingual inquiries officer with the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety and serving as a youth services librarian at Hamilton Public Library. She became the manager of children’s services at Brantford Public Library in 2007, and the chief librarian and chief executive officer of Grimsby Public Library in 2010. Since joining Hamilton Public Library as a director in 2013, she has been responsible for the library’s digital technology, youth services, collections, and program development.
She holds a Master of Library & Information Studies from McGill University, a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Art History) from Concordia University, and certificates in leadership from McMaster University, University of Toronto, and University of Victoria. Ms Barrie is active in the library profession as a frequent presenter at conferences and as a sessional lecturer at University of Toronto, Faculty of Information, where she also co-founded the Public Library Leaders Program offered through the iSchool Institute. She has also served in many senior volunteer roles with the Ontario Library Association.
Ms Barrie is a keen community volunteer and is currently vice chair of the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board’s Special Education Advisory Committee and president of the Hamilton Arts Council Board.