Montgomery County councilmembers interviewed Darcell Graham, interim president and CEO at Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore City, for the position of Montgomery County Director of the Department of Public Libraries.
She was recommended by Executive Marc Elrich out of “an enormous number of applications from all over the country,” said County Chief Administrative Officer Richard Madaleno. He called her “an exciting visionary leader.”
She would replace Anita Vassallo, who retired in June after serving more than 50 years with the Montgomery County Library Department.
Graham has spent 26 years with the Baltimore library system, starting with her first job in the circulation department.
If approved by the county council, she would earn $230,000 a year plus benefits.
During her interview Tuesday afternoon, Graham said she would work with staff from a multitude of county services to offer assistance to those who come to the library to search for a job, seek social services or just to get out of the cold.
Librarians are not equipped to be social workers and can only point people to the right places and websites, but county workers can actually help those in distress, she said, adding that Montgomery County has “a wealth of resources.”
She said she hoped “to align” with Montgomery County Public Schools and the County Department of Parks and Recreation to provide services and assist in programs.
She praised the county’s library system. “I can tell that the county supports the library, and the community supports the library, because you guys have some of the highest uses in the state.”
Kristin Mink, council’s lead for libraries, asked Graham about treatment and retention of library staff members, who are unionized. Graham explained that her staff in Baltimore is working to unionize, and “we are bargaining in good faith.”
