JEFFREY CANNELL APPOINTED ACTING STATE LIBRARIAN

From NYLINE:

Commissioner of Education Richard P. Mills has announced the appointment of Jeffrey W. Cannell, Deputy Commissioner for Cultural Education, as Acting State Librarian and Assistant Commissioner for Libraries following the retirement of Janet Welch earlier this month.
The announcement was made at the June meeting of the Board of Regents.

Jeffrey Cannell has served as Deputy Commissioner for Cultural Education since his appointment in March 2007. The New York State Library, the State Archives, the Office of Educational Television, and the New York State Museum comprise the Office of Cultural Education.

During Cannell’s tenure as Deputy Commissioner, the legislature approved new funding for public library construction grants, increased aid for library systems, and increased school library materials aid.
Mr. Cannell has led development of a plan to establish safe and secure storage for New York’s historic and cultural treasures and has worked to secure funding for curriculum based education programs in Museums and other cultural institutions.

He has worked with the Board of Regents to secure more support for outreach and educational programs provided by New York’s public television stations and to expand the NOVELny pilot project into a Statewide Internet Library.

Prior to his appointment as Deputy Commissioner for Cultural Education, Cannell was Director of the Albany Public Library and had an extensive career in library administration. He served before that as Director of the Wayne County Public Library in Goldsboro, North Carolina; Manager of the Cliffdale Branch of Cumberland County Public Library and Information Center, Fayetteville, North Carolina; Branch Manager of Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Bookseller for a number of enterprises; and Reference Librarian at Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, New York. He has a Bachelor of Arts in English and Comparative Literature and a Master of Library Science, both from the State University of New York at Albany.

A search is currently underway to permanently fill the position of New York State Librarian and Assistant Commissioner for Libraries.
Candidates are being sought and qualified individuals are urged to apply. For information on the position and how to apply, go to the New York State Education web site.