Item Description:
title
Confirmation of the appointment of Scott Duimstra as the Library Director, effective October 9, 2023
end
Resolution:
body
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners appoints Scott Duimstra to the unclassified position of Library Director, effective October 9, 2023.
end
Background:
The County Board Open Appointments Policy and MN Statutes Section 383B.102 require that appointments to unclassified service have confirmation by the Board of County Commissioners.
Following an extensive national recruitment campaign/effort, the County Administrator and Library Board are recommending Scott Duimstra be appointed as the Library Director.
Mr. Duimstra has worked as a professional librarian for 20 years, earning his Master of Science in Information (MSI) from the University of Michigan. Since 2017, he’s worked as the Executive Director of the Capital Area District Libraries (CADL) in Michigan, serving the City of Lansing and Ingham County residents. CADL serves 23 different municipalities with 13 branches, a staff of 230 and an operating budget of $13M.
Since becoming Executive Director, he’s guided CADL to become one of the most used Class VI library systems in Michigan. The work of Mr. Duimstra and the staff at CADL was recognized in 2019 by receiving the State Librarian’s Excellence Award and in 2022 by becoming a Star Library by Library Journal. In 2019, Mr. Duimstra was elected by his peers to serve on the Board of Trustees for the Michigan Library Association (MLA) and in 2022 as President of MLA. In that role, he has ensured that public libraries in the State of Michigan have the resources and support they need to empower all members of their communities.
As required by the Open Appointments Policy, a list of final applicants who interviewed for this position is on file with the Clerk of the County Board.
recommendation
Recommendation from County Administrator: Recommend Approval