Meet the Finalists for East Lansing’s Next Library Director, as Board Set to Make Decision Tonight
The East Lansing Library Board of Trustees is convening for three in-person interviews for the director position today at 4 p.m., and anticipates making a selection immediately following interviews and deliberations.
Out of 41 applications, three finalists have been selected, and Board President Ameenah Asante provided East Lansing Info with one paragraph biographies for each of the finalists.
The names of two of the final candidates still remain unknown. One finalist was previously identified as Chrissie Evaskis-Garrett, who currently serves as the interim director at the library.
Garrett started as interim director when her predecessor, Kevin King, resigned. Before her current role, she was the East Lansing library’s collections team leader, helping to curate books and other materials. She holds a master’s degree in information from the University of Michigan and two bachelor’s degrees in history and sociology from the University of Tennessee-Martin.
Prior to joining the East Lansing Public Library team, Garrett was an adult services librarian at Jackson District Library, where she provided tech assistance, legal documents, expungement support, hosted a book club and ran programming.
The second finalist grew up in Michigan and is a public library leader and communications strategist who has leadership experience from her roles at the New York Public Library. Her biography states, “Her approach emphasizes stewardship, clarity of purpose, and the practical systems that enable staff to serve their communities well.”
The biography notes she is keen on building connections across institutions and making sure that libraries continue to meet the needs of their communities. She gravitates towards the City of East Lansing for its intellectual life and public engagement.
The last finalist graduated from Wayne State University in 2005, and is bringing 20 years of experience as a leader in public libraries. She hopes to expand the library’s impact within the community through participation in legislative advocacy, professional mentorship and collaborative community work.
Her biography says she is passionate about intellectual freedom and has been volunteering her time at the Michigan Library Association Legislative Advocacy Committee since 2022. For the past three years, she has lent her support in planning an advocacy day in Lansing, focusing on the inclusion of professionals who are new to the legislative advocacy space.
The first interview is set to start at 4:15 p.m., the second is at 5:30 p.m., and the third is at 6:30 p.m. at the East Lansing Public Library. There will be time dedicated for public comment at the start of the meeting.