After a nationwide search the Grand Rapids Public Library has found its new Director. The Board of Library Commissioners announced they have voted in favor of John McNaughton of Washington Township to replace former director Marcia Warner, who retired in December.
Commissioners began the search back in October and initially couldn’t come to a consensus on three finalists for the job. The search then started over, and this time around, the Board came to a unanimous vote.
McNaughton says libraries are about more than books. Rather he says, they can be a driver for social change.
“A library’s role in the community is we act as a community hub, we act for everybody,” McNaughton said. “And it’s the philosophy of making sure that all of our resources are there for everyone, and everyone has equal access to that.”
McNaughton inherits a library that is in a pretty good position. Last November, Kent County voters approved a millage that will help cover library operations costs for the next twenty years.
A native of the east side of the state, McNaughton’s wife was raised in Grand Rapids and says they are happy to be “coming home.”
