A familiar face named to lead Hennepin County Library system

Someone who knows the ins and outs of the Hennepin County Library system got the top job there Tuesday when county commissioners confirmed Lois Langer Thompson's appointment as library director.

Thompson, 48, worked for the old Hennepin County suburban library system for 20 years before becoming interim director last year of the merged Hennepin County and Minneapolis city system.

The 41-library system has 900 employees, more than 5 million books, CDs and DVDs, and an annual budget of $73 million.

County Administrator Richard Johnson called Thompson "the ideal candidate to lead us on as we go forward with the merger and face financial challenges."

Commissioners unanimously confirmed Thompson's appointment.

"I'm thrilled. It's such an honor," she said.

Thompson will lead a library system she has been familiar with since childhood. Growing up in St. Louis Park, she borrowed books from the system she now heads. And except for her earliest jobs as a substitute librarian in Minneapolis Public Schools and working in public libraries in New Ulm, she has spent her entire career with Hennepin County libraries.

"We don't want to erode services for the future," she said.

She also said she is eager to begin work on shaping the system for the 21st century. At the board meeting, County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin said he wants to involve university and national experts in a dialogue about what libraries should look like in a fast-changing world.

"We have to be agile, keeping ourselves relevant and not pulling back from challenges," Thompson said. "We have to keep working with the community to find out what they need."

She said the system has just added a fifth Job and Small Business Center, which helps people who have lost jobs to look for new ones.

Thompson's annual salary will be $144,420. She officially begins her new job Monday.

Two weeks ago, the library board recommended that Thompson get the job. The other finalist was Rivkah Sass, director of the Omaha Public Library.