Charlotte Leader to Serve as Next Executive Director for Charleston County Public Library

Press Release

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Craig (Provided)

Angela Craig, a regional library leader who manages two major Charlotte libraries, will be Charleston County Public Library’s new executive director, the library’s Board of Trustees announced today.

“Angela is the perfect fit for leading efforts to continue the tremendous forward trajectory that the Charleston County Public Library has been on in recent years,” said Andy Brack, chair of the library’s Board of Trustees. “With her broad experience in managing significant libraries and a major building program in Charlotte – plus her years of work of providing innovative services – Angela has the talent and experience to guide our staff and system in the days ahead as we soon open five new libraries and renovate others.”

Craig, 39, is expected to step down today as Center City leader for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library (CML), a system in Charlotte, N.C., with a $40 million annual budget and 20 library locations. She will start her new position in Charleston County by May 1. The Center City leader is equivalent of the system’s deputy director.

“It is a tremendous honor to be selected as the next executive director of the Charleston County Public Library,” Craig said this morning after the board voted to hire her.  “I am excited to be part of such a dynamic and dedicated staff and historic community that loves and values their libraries. The future is bright for libraries and we have great things ahead of us at Charleston County.”

Craig was one of four finalists who were interviewed by the board this month after a national search by an executive recruitment firm that specializes in locating the best and brightest from the world of libraries. About 38 applications were received from across the country.

The new director will lead the system’s continuing efforts to bolster customer service for library users as well as grow virtual services, overhaul technologies, create innovative content, and build sustainable partnerships with businesses and community organizations.

Craig also will continue ongoing efforts to finish the library’s voter-approved $108.5 million building and renovation program, which includes constructing five new libraries (two new branches and three replacements), renovating 13 existing branches and relocating support staff out of the main library to free up space for public use.  Currently four new library buildings are under construction and another is in design.

The starting salary for the position will be $130,000.

More about Angela Craig

Craig, a member of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library staff since 2005, most recently has served as the CML executive who managed all aspects of the public and administrative services for the system’s downtown Main Library and nearby “ImaginOn: The Joe and Joan Martin Center,” a nationally-recognized leader in children’s services. The two flagship libraries serve youths and adults in the Uptown Charlotte area and have a combined footprint of 250,000 square feet.

Craig is also CML’s project lead for the Charlotte system’s new main library, a $100+ million-dollar architecture project slated for opening in 2023. The new main library is a flagship project of the Seventh & Tryon development plan for uptown Charlotte.

A mother of two, Craig started with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library in 2005 and worked her way up through several positions until being named Center City Leader in 2017. In her 14 years at CML, she has spent time cultivating creativity, collaborating with staff and developing a patron-focused experience by removing barriers to library services.

While adept at working with all populations, Craig has specialized in increasing library access to vulnerable populations and underserved communities. In 2013, she published Serving At-Risk Teens: Proven Strategies and Programs for Bridging the Gap, culminating in a visit to South Korea as their keynote speaker for the 9th International Youth Symposium in 2015.

Craig, active in national and regional professional library groups, holds a master’s degree of Library and Information Science from the University of South Carolina and a bachelor’s degree from Texas State University.

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