Irene Padilla to retire after 22 years leading Maryland libraries
State Librarian Irene Padilla will retire next summer after 22 years in charge of the Maryland State Library Agency.
“As I look ahead to the next chapter of my life, I’m most proud of the tremendous positive impact MSLA has had on Maryland’s libraries and librarians,” Padilla said in a news release. “Our libraries are changing, but at their core, they still serve the same essential purpose as when I started in this profession nearly 50 years ago. It has been an honor to serve the State of Maryland and do my part to ensure our libraries and communities have access to the resources they need to succeed.”
Padilla whose retirement will be effective June 30, has led the agency since 2002, overseeing the state’s 24 public library systems.
During her tenure, Padilla oversaw transitions to enhanced digital collections and public-access computers, laptops and Wi-Fi hot spots. She also successfully established the Maryland State Library Agency as an independent unit of state government under the direction of a 12-member state board following legislation passed in April 2017.
Padilla also helped secure minimum state funding levels for the Maryland Library for the Blind and Print Disabled. She spent pandemic relief funding on 14 mobile library vehicles across the state with both books and materials for job-seekers.
Padilla, who has master’s degrees from George Mason and Western Michigan universities, previously served as director of the Harford County library system, where she worked from 1990 to 2002.
A committee will lead a nationwide search in the coming months to hire a replacement, and the Maryland Senate must approve the search committee’s recommendation, according to the news release.
