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Trustees appoint new library director

The Bellingham Public Library Board of Trustees announced today the appointment of Rebecca Judd as the new director of the Bellingham Public Library. Judd, who currently lives on Bainbridge Island and works for Kitsap Regional Library, will begin July 16, 2018.

Portrait of Rebecca Judd
Rebecca Judd

Library Board of Trustees Chair Rick Osen said Rebecca is a dedicated and skilled library professional with wide-ranging experiences at public libraries in Washington and Massachusetts.

“We are pleased to welcome Rebecca to Bellingham,” Osen said. “She is an enthusiastic and distinctive leader, with excellent administrative and strategic planning skills and experiences. She will be a great fit for the library, the city government, and for our community.”

Judd is currently the manager of collections and technical services for Kitsap Regional Library, a multi-branch system serving 258,000 people on Washington’s Kitsap Peninsula. She also served for 10 years as Kitsap Regional Library’s Bainbridge Island branch manager, where she oversaw numerous signature projects, was extensively involved in the community, and was named Employee of the Year in 2017.

Prior to moving to Washington, Judd held various positions with libraries in Massachusetts, including as library director for the Pelham Library in Western Massachusetts. She has a master of library science degree from Indiana University and a bachelor of arts from Northwestern University.

“It is an honor and privilege to be selected as the new director of the Bellingham Public Library,” Judd said, noting that Bainbridge Island is similar to Bellingham, with a vibrant arts community and a deep affection for its public library.

“I most treasure the relationships we built and the good work we did every day for the people of Bainbridge, and I’m looking forward to bringing the same energy, passion and community commitment to Bellingham. I am thrilled to be joining the library at this exciting time and look forward to working with the outstanding staff, the Board, the City of Bellingham, and the entire community to create a shared vision for the library’s future.”

Judd steps into the position most recently held by interim library director Nancy Kerr, who was appointed to serve in a short-term capacity after Pam Kiesner retired at the end of 2016. Kerr, who held the position from January 2017 until earlier this month, left to accept a library director position in Longmont, Colorado. Osen said the Board of Trustees is grateful to Nancy for leading the Bellingham Public Library during a critical time and keeping forward momentum on key projects, and wishes her well in her new position.

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Media contact:
Rick Osen, Chair, Bellingham Public Library Board of Trustees
rosen@cob.org or 360-778-7220