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.

New Executive Director Joins Albany Public Library

Albany Public Library welcomes Executive Director Carol A. Nersinger to her post as leader of the six-location library system serving residents of the city of Albany.

Nersinger was appointed by the library Board of Trustees on May 12 after a national search to fill the newly created executive director position. She comes to Albany from East Brunswick Public Library in New Jersey. Last year, Nersinger was named New Jersey’s Librarian of the Year for her innovative leadership in creating a library that serves as a role model to other organizations.

"I’m thrilled to be joining Albany Public Library at such an exciting time," Nersinger said. "We’re building or renovating five neighborhood branch libraries, which will all open between this fall and next summer. These new and improved libraries will greatly expand our collections, technology, and services to better meet our customers’ needs. I’m looking forward to leading the library through this period of growth as we work to integrate the new branches into our comprehensive library system for Albany."

Nersinger has led libraries for more than 20 years. During her four years at East Brunswick Public Library, Nersinger expanded hours without increasing expenditures, expanded programming to reflect a diverse constituency, developed a leading-edge teen center, developed a comprehensive strategic plan, and increased the library’s public awareness initiatives. She previously served as director of the Rochester Public Library, director of the library development bureau at the New Jersey State Library, executive director of the Highlands Regional Library Cooperative in New Jersey, and director of the Irondequoit Public Library in New York. Nersinger holds a master of library science degree from SUNY Geneseo.

Albany Public Library educates, entertains, and empowers our community. The library currently operates six locations serving the residents of Albany, New York. Each month, close to 70,000 people use the libraries to borrow materials, attend programs, access computers, and research information. Almost 90,000 books, DVDs, and other materials are circulated each month. The library is creating five new branches—opening between Fall 2009 and Summer 2010—to better serve customers. Visit Albany Public Library online at www.albanypubliclibrary.org.

APL Names New Executive Director

The Albany Public Library (APL) Board of Trustees appointed Carol A. Nersinger as the organization’s executive director at its regular meeting May 12.