Contact: Sarah Dentan
Acting Deputy Director
Berkeley Public Library
510-981-6195
Berkeley Board of Library Trustees Names Heidi Dolamore Library Director
Berkeley CA. September 9, 2016—The Board of Library Trustees is pleased to announce it has named Heidi Dolamore Director of Library Services for the Berkeley Public Library; she will start on September 30, 2016. “Heidi Dolamore's experience, professional capabilities, and personal qualities will make her an outstanding leader for our Library,” said BOLT President Julie Holcomb, “I could not be more pleased!”
With a decade of experience in Bay Area Libraries, Dolamore brings a wide range of experience to the position. "My professional philosophy is deeply informed by the community-led service model that grew out of work in Canadian and UK libraries," said Dolamore. Her focus on service to the community is evidenced in her work: as Assistant Director at San Jose Public Library, Dolamore initiated membership in the CENIC broadband consortium, launched Career Online High School, and improved staffing models to promote greater equity among branches. While Deputy Director at Solano County Library, she led participation in the Gates Foundation's Edge Initiative and developed a programming plan that facilitated marketing and evaluation of key services; as a manager at Contra Costa County Library, Dolamore led a team to reinvent the former Central Library by focusing on community engagement.
In addition to her work locally, Dolamore is active on the state and national level. She is a member of the California Library Association leadership development committee and has served as an elected member of ALA Council, the governance body for the American Library Association.
Dolamore, who has attended a number of Board of Library Trustees meetings as an observer, acknowledged the importance of strengthening relationships, saying, "It will be critical to build trust with community members and staff. While building trust takes time, I am optimistic about what the future holds." Library Trustee Darryl Moore echoes Dolamore’s optimism: "This is the start of a new time for the Berkeley Public Library. It is my desire that everyone will support our fantastic new director."
The role of Library Director has been filled on an acting and interim basis since the previous director resigned in September 2015.
Founded in 1893, the Berkeley Public Library has grown from a small reading room with 264 books, into a five-story Central Library and four recently renovated neighborhood branches and a Tool Lending Library. For more information, visit www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org.
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