McClelland looks to PCPL’s vision as its new director

Thursday, January 23, 2020
Matt McClelland

The Putnam County Public Library will soon officially welcome a new director who professes an eye for engagement and collaboration.

Matt McClelland, 36, was unanimously approved as PCPL’s new head by the library’s board of trustees during its first regular meeting of 2020 Thursday evening.

He succeeds former director Brian Briscoe, whose contract was not renewed by the board last July. Board Treasurer Lisa Barker has served as the interim director in the meantime.

The newly instated director is a Pennsylvania native who grew up in the Pittsburgh area. Before coming to serve Putnam County, his career in library services was principally based in the commonwealth.

McClelland earned his bachelor’s degree in English from Westminster College in Wilmington, Pa. in 2005. He went on to earn his master’s degree in library science from Clarion University a year later.

McClelland initially worked as a school librarian for a couple of years, before serving as both the director and the county administrator of the Clarion Free Library.

He later served as the director of a prison library based in the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. This experience brought him into contact with inmates who he said regularly used the library for a variety of reasons.

In a sit-down interview with the Banner Graphic following the board meeting, McClelland related that he became a candidate to lead the library after other circumstances brought him closer to the area.

“I fell in love with a foot-and-ankle surgeon,” McClelland said matter-of-factly, referring to his wife Sarah, who currently practices at Franciscan Health in Mooresville.

Sarah also completed her residency at St. Vincent in Indianapolis. McClelland pointed to this as the beginning of his path toward Greencastle and the library.

The two were married last September, and are currently living in Plainfield so that Sarah can still be relatively close to her work.

“I love the environment; just the small-town, college-town feel,” McClelland said of the Greencastle community. “It’s got a close feel to it, and everyone’s been so friendly.

“It’s what I know and what I’m used to being from rural Pennsylvania,” he added.

McClelland provided that he was struck by the reception of the board and the community at large as he was considered in the final pool of candidates for the position.

He also made sure to give his due credit to the board and library staff for encouraging creativity and initiative throughout the absence of a director.

“I’m impressed by how the board and staff have kept things running, and with all the new ideas coming through,” McClelland said. “I just want to take these ideas and distill them down to their essence.”

As he comes into his new role and sets about determining the library’s priorities, McClelland pointed to PCPL’s future as an important focus.

“I’m wanting to understand what the vision for the library is, and where it’s going to be 10 years from now,” he said. “The library can’t be just a place for books. We should have different things so we can reach out to different people.”

On the micro-level, McClelland still believes that listening to the ideas which come from different sources is also a crucial part of the library’s success.

“The first step for me will be listening,” McClelland said. “It will be about listening to all the input from the board as well as the community.

“I just want to be visible,” he added. “I think it is very important to get out into the community, being out there and interacting with everyone.”

As Thursday’s meeting was his quick introduction to what the Library Board discusses and considers, McClelland acknowledged that he still has much to learn about.

However, he said he was thankful for the board’s warm welcome, and for the generosity of the community members which he has already met.

“I’m just very appreciative for the opportunity, and for the patience the board, staff and the community have shown throughout the process,” he concluded. “This feels like home already to me.”

McClelland’s first official day as the library’s director will be this coming Monday.

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