Thorup to head Fayetteville library

— Shawna Thorup is the new executive director of the Fayetteville Public Library, board of trustees Vice President Beverly Schaffer said Monday.

She said the board offered Thorup the job Monday evening and she accepted. Her salary will be $85,000, and she starts Oct. 31.

Thorup is currently the library's director of operations and second in command.

"We did a very thorough search, and Shawna rose to the top," board of trustees President Lorraine Brewer said. "We're looking forward to where we will go under her leadership."

The decision was unanimous, though member Dan Ferritor was out of town and couldn't vote. Brewer said Ferritor was contacted by phone and agreed with the choice.

"It was a wonderful time of communication with each other - with the city and [library] staff and all three boards - with the Friends of the Library, the foundation," Brewer said.

Louise Schaper announced May 18 she would retire Oct. 30. She has been executive director for 12 years.

Board members Mike Malone, Ferritor and Marla Hunt were named to a selection committee after Schaper's announcement. The committee narrowed down the candidates from 15 to three on Aug. 17.

The full board of trustees met Thursday behind closed doors for two hours and again Monday to discuss the candidates.

The two other finalists were Clyde Scoles, executive director of the Toledo-Lucas County (Ohio) Public Library, and Michael Todd Van Campen, chief of central services for the Houston Public Library.

Thorup earned a Master of Library Science from the University of California at Los Angeles. In 1993, she was hired as a children's librarian for the Los Angeles Public Library.

She was senior librarian and reference services manager for the Torrance (Calif.) Public Library when the Fayetteville Public Library hired her as operations director in 2005.

News, Pages 1, 3 on 09/22/2009

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