Albany Public Library Executive Director Announces Retirement Later this Year

Albany Public Library Executive Director Carol Nersinger has announced that she will retire from APL after close to five years.

Nersinger will stay on at APL until a replacement is selected in order to sustain momentum of strategic initiatives and ensure a smooth transition. The library’s Board of Trustees will conduct a national search for a new executive director.

During Nersinger’s tenure at APL, she oversaw the opening of five new and renovated branch libraries in the Arbor Hill/West Hill, New Scotland, Delaware, South End, and Pine Hills neighborhoods. Several of the buildings won design awards and the whole project was lauded as a valuable community resource. She spearheaded a project to make collections in the branches more usable and accessible to patrons by instituting a Dewey-free classification system, a move that is considered cutting-edge in the library industry. Nersinger embraced technology by expanding the collection of digital books and materials, hiring the area’s first eLibrarian, creating a mobile app giving users 24/7 access to APL, as well as green-lighting a complete website overhaul to better meet library users where they are. She also led a comprehensive project to develop a new strategic plan that will guide the library as it embarks on initiatives to provide children with the knowledge to become lifelong learners, deliver employability resources and skills development to adults, and connect people with information and experiences that enrich their lives.