EAST LANSING, Mich. — The East Lansing Public Library (ELPL) welcomed Angelo Moreno to the position of interim director this week; his first day in the new role was Aug. 9.
The Library Board of Trustees unanimously voted to extend the offer to Moreno at its special meeting on July 25. The move was overwhelmingly supported by ELPL staff. Moreno has worked as ELPL’s adult services librarian since 2019.
“The Library Board of Trustees is pleased to share the news of our interim director. From several qualified applicants, we have chosen Angelo Moreno to manage operations during this transition period; he has served at ELPL since 2019 and is well known to our patrons and our community,” Library Board President Amy Zaagman said. “Library staff are the key to the services everyone expects from ELPL and we thank them for their hard work and commitment as we establish a collaborative process to identify a new director in the months to come.”
Moreno began his library career as a page at the Veterans Memorial Library of the Chippewa River District Library system in Mount Pleasant. Concurrently he worked at Central Michigan University’s Clarke Historical Library, where he helped digitize historical newspapers from across the state. From there, he worked at the Grand Rapids Public Library (GRPL), eventually serving as a branch manager. At GRPL, Moreno worked closely with Latinx staff to develop library services for the area’s Latinx and Spanish-speaking communities. Later, he spent time as a librarian in Puebla, Mexico. Moreno earned a Master of Library and Information Science degree from Wayne State University.
“ELPL is lucky to have exceptional staff who work hard every day, and I’m grateful to be supported by such a great team,” Interim ELPL Director Angelo Moreno said. “Over the next six months, I’m excited to work with staff to continue to provide the exceptional programs, services and resources that our community has come to expect, while we transition towards a permanent director.”
Some of the programs that community members can look forward to this fall include: a “Page to Stage” collaboration with the Williamston Theatre, beginner crochet and animation workshops for kids and teens, the return of popular events like National Fossil Day and Dinovember, author visits and more! All ELPL programs are free and open to the public. For more information and to stay up to date on the search for a permanent director, visit www.elpl.org.