Noah Baskett, who grew up in Salt Lake City and has worked with nonprofits in Washington state, will be the next executive director of the Salt Lake City Public Library.
The library announced Baskett’s hire in a release Tuesday. It said Baskett has worked in leadership positions with nonprofits and community based organizations for decades, including positions with the Tacoma Rescue Mission and Northwest Leadership Foundation. Most recently, he was the vice president of operations for Leadership Foundations, a faith-based group that operates in more than 50 U.S. cities.
“I believe my experience in nurturing flourishing, diverse urban spaces and facilitating collaborative relationships are well suited to lead the Library’s next chapter as a platform for community and personal transformation for the city and all its residents,” Baskett said in the release.
Baskett is scheduled to start in his new job on Jan. 8, 2024.
Koya Partners, a job-search firm, helped organize the interview process, gathering community input before recruitment started. After a six-part interview process, Baskett was the one of four finalists for the job. The library system’s board of directors made the final decision to hire him.
Adam Weinacker, the board’s president, said in the release, “Noah brings a wealth of experience in leadership, equity work, community partnerships, strategic planning, and board and city government collaboration. With a proven track record of success, Noah will help propel our organization forward.”
Deborah Ehrman, who has been with City Library for 40 years, had been serving as the interim director since May 2021, when Peter Bromberg left the post to take a job for EveryLibrary, a national library advocacy group.
