New Washington library director named

The Washington Public Library announced that it would hire Cary Siegfried as its new library director, replacing former director Bryna Walker, who left the position in July.

“Ms. Siegfried is originally from Washington, Iowa, and is looking forward to returning to her hometown roots,” a Facebook post from the library said. “She will begin her duties at the end of September.”

Although she’s originally from Washington, Siegfried’s library career has taken her across the U.S.

After graduating from the University of Iowa, she went to Louisiana for her master’s degree before setting out on a library career that took her to Texas and California.

“I always appreciated public libraries, and had the ambition to work in a public library some day,” she said. “A position opened up in Arlington around 1992 or so as a support services manager … the goal was to get rid of the card catalog and install an automation system. It was a great job, it was never the same one year after the other, there was so much change going on with libraries at that time.”

While she initially preferred a support role at the library, Siegfried said she was convinced to pursue a directing position.

“I had a really great mentor (in Arlington) who kept telling me that I should be the library director, and when he retired he encouraged me to apply for the job, and reluctantly, I did,” she said. “I’ve never regretted it. I remember somebody telling me once that I had the greatest job in the city, and I was like, ‘Yeah, you’re right.’ This really is a great way to provide services to the community.”

Despite her experience in numerous larger communities, Siegfried said she felt drawn back to Washington.

“I’ve been working in and the director for large library selections for the last 30 years or so … one of the things I’ve always tried to ensure in my career is to be able to learn something new and work with great people that are dedicated to public service,” she said. “I really think I’m going to find that in Washington. It is a big difference, but I’m looking forward to that.”

While it will be a new experience, Siegfried said it was one she was well-equipped for.

“What interests me about libraries is the same whether it’s a large, multi-branch library system or whether it’s a small town,” she said. “You do the same work, it’s simply on a different scale. In a lot of ways, the work of getting to know the community is not all that different.”

Siegfried said the interview process before her appointment was done remotely. While it was certainly easier than making the cross-country trip back to Washington, she said it was an unusual experience.

“I did an interview with the board on Zoom,” she said. “I got to talk to Bryna, the former director and got to talk to each of the library staff members, it was a good opportunity. It’s weird doing that process just over Zoom, but maybe not as weird as it would’ve been five years ago.”

While she’s excited to start her work in Washington, Siegfried said she did not yet have any particular initiatives in mind.

“I haven’t lived in Washington for quite some time now, so I think my biggest initial challenge is getting to know the community again,” she said. “I’m really hesitant to say, ‘Hey, I want to do X, Y and Z.’ I think a lot of that is going to have to depend on what the community wants.”

While that level of relationship building is a formidable task, Siegfried said she had a plan to hit the ground running.

“When I get there, I’ll spend a lot of time working the public service desk, checking out books to people, helping them do research. I’ll spend a lot of time talking to people who are using the library now,” she said. “Then I need to branch out from there, not only talking to people who use the library now but people who don’t … And then organizations, teachers, students. It’s really going to be a matter of listening.”