After three years at the helm of the Princeton Public Library as its executive director, Brett Bonfield is leaving in April to become the chief operations officer of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Bonfield will start his new job on April 12, the Princeton Public Library’s Board of Trustees announced this week. An interim director will be appointed while a nationwide search is under way to find Bonfield’s successor.
In his new position at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Bonfield will oversee the operation of the Main Library’s 40 branches. The Public Library of Cincinnati was formed in 1853 and serves more than 800,000 patrons in Cincinnati and Hamilton County, according to its website, www.cincinnatilibrary.org.
Bonfield said he was grateful for the chance to work with the Princeton Public Library staff, its trustees, the library foundation and the Friends of the Princeton Public Library.
Bonfield also expressed appreciation for being able to work with Princeton’s elected officials, community partners and the thousands of donors and community members.
“They are the reason this library is the best in the state, the best for its size in the country, and one of the best libraries in the world,” said Bonfield, who took over as the Princeton Public Library’s executive director in 2016.
During Bonfield’s tenure, the Princeton Public Library increased its outreach to under-served communities and established the position of community engagement coordinator. It also launched a social work internship through a collaboration with the Princeton Human Services Department.
“We have accomplished a great deal in the past three years,” Bonfield said, pointing to improvements in the library’s physical space, its collection, its technology, its organizational structure and its endowment allocation.
Bonfield also praised the skills and diversity of the staff, as well as the range and comprehensiveness of the services that the Princeton Public Library offers.
“I will always cherish my time here. I will apply the lessons I have learned throughout the remainder of my career,” Bonfield said.
Pam Wakefield, the president of the Princeton Public Library Board of Trustees, said Bonfield had been a thoughtful, dedicated and talented leader “not only in our library, but throughout the entire Princeton community,” she said.
“Brett has accomplished a great deal in his years with us. We know that the position in Cincinnati is an exciting opportunity for Brett, and we wish him all the best,” Wakefield said.
