Following a nationwide search over the last several months, the is pleased to announce that its new executive director is Elaine Tai-Lauria, a 25-year Wilton resident. Ms. Tai-Lauria will succeed current director Kathy Leeds, who last fall and will be leaving the at the end of June after eleven years as its director. Ms. Tai-Lauria’s almost 35 years as a professional librarian and her ties to the Wilton community made her a winning choice from the original pool of close to 40 qualified candidates.
Ms. Tai-Lauria currently serves as the Head of Lending Services at the Greenwich Library, a position she has held for seven years. She has 30 years of seamless professional growth as a senior manager in public, corporate and academic libraries. At the , she manages a staff of 42 people, coordinating circulation activities for three libraries in the system, and has worked closely with the senior staff to develop the strategic planning initiative for the Greenwich Library. Before that, Elaine worked as Director of Information Services for Purdue Pharma in Stamford, in a similar position with Texaco, and then as Manager of Reference and Information Services for Stanford University in Palo Alto. She has special strengths in mentoring and developing staff, and expertise in technology and marketing.
In addition to her notable career, Ms. Tai-Lauria has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Wilton Library since 2006. She served as Chair of the Technology Committee, and supported and worked at several fund-raising events. Her experience and understanding of technology prepares the library for the rapid pace of technological change. As a 25-year resident of Wilton, she knows the community well and has a vision to further develop existing relationships and partnerships with the schools and businesses in town as well as to find ways to encourage non-users to become patrons. According to Kathy Welling, chair of the Search Committee for the Executive Director of the Wilton Library, “In short, her stellar experience, excellent references and enthusiasm for the position combined with her understanding and devotion to our community made her stand out from the highly qualified competition.”
Ms. Tai-Lauria remarked, “Given the outstanding reputation of Wilton Library and having been so closely associated with it as a trustee, I am thrilled to be part of this wonderful institution in my own community. I look forward to leading the development of Wilton Library as we continue to bring our products, programs and services to our current and new users.”
Ms. Tai-Lauria’s official start date is July 1, 2012. She will be working closely with Kathy Leeds in the weeks leading up to that date to ensure a smooth transition. Wilton Library is located at 137 Old Ridgefield Road in the heart of Wilton Center. For information and directions, visit www.wiltonlibrary.org or call 203-762-3950, ext. 213.
