New KRL executive director says he strives to serve the library, Kitsap community

Passion brought Jason Driver, the new director of Kitsap Regional Library, from Chicago to Kitsap County.

In deciding to leave Chicago for the job, Driver said he saw the same passion in library staff members as he'd seen at the Chicago Public Library: employees who are dedicated to delivering library services to the community they serve.

"This library is like Chicago, and the way that people are really intentional about making sure that they deliver services to the public, and they're passionate about what they do," Driver said.

It's been roughly six months since Driver took the helm of KRL after long-time director Jill Jean retired in December. In that time, Driver has committed himself to community outreach and internal communication with library employees.

He said he's working on identifying the community's needs while also figuring out how to sustain the library and ensure it serves everyone in Kitsap County.

"I'm thinking about present day, here, now, and the future for Kitsap," Driver said.

Driver was born and raised in Chicago and has 20 years of experience in public library service. He received a master’s degree in library and information science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and served most recently as a District Chief at Chicago Public Library before he came to KRL.

More: Kitsap Regional Library Director Jill Jean to retire at the end of 2021

In the past few months, Driver has met with community stakeholders, county commissioners, mayors and tribal councils. He's conducted detailed interviews with KRL's board members, managers and staff members to understand what the community needs from KRL and the expectations of his staff, Driver said.

"I'm a servant to the people working for me, and I'm a servant to the larger community," Driver said.

In meeting with members of both the Suquamish and Port Gamble S'Klallam tribal councils, Driver said he learned how the tribes want to be recognized in KRL's programs and literature.

"We recognize that our tribal communities play a huge role in our community here, and we want to be able to really speak to and honor what they have been for our community," Driver said.

Some ongoing plans include increasing the hours of the library, which were reduced during the pandemic; creating a new KRL website; and testing a book locker in Poulsbo, where patrons can retrieve their library holds outside the library's regular hours. If it's successful, the library is considering expanding the locker service to some remote areas to serve more.

The library has partnerships with the North Kitsap and Bremerton school districts that allow students to use their student IDs to access library services, Driver said. KRL is hoping to create similar partnerships with other districts. It's also looking to offer assistance and resources ⁠— in the form of computers, free WiFi and more ⁠— to help those filling out financial aid applications for college.

"We have a unique place in the community and that we're trusted...libraries are open access for everyone. And I think we can build on that," Driver said.

Contract ratified with unionized employees

In 2021, the Washington Public Employees Association, representing non-management KRL staff members, negotiated for months with the library's management for wage increases they said would match the rising costs of living in Kitsap County. A collective bargaining agreement was approved by KRL's board of trustees in May, bringing negotiations to an end.

More: Kitsap Regional Library's frontline staff say they're among the lowest paid in the state

In the new contract, all staff represented by the union will receive a 7% cost of living adjustment ⁠— which includes 2% for 2021 and 5% for 2022 ⁠— and a 3% salary step increase in their pay in 2022, according to KRL. In 2023, all staff will receive a 3% cost of living adjustment, and most will get a 3% step increase.

Following the approval of the contract, all represented staff received a $300 contribution to their medical premiums and a one-time lump sum payment of $1,500 in June, according to KRL.

WPEA is relieved to have reached an agreement with KRL management, said Amanda Hacker, contract administration director at WPEA, in a statement to Kitsap Sun.

"We believe that this agreement helps make up some of the ground that was lost over the past 10 years. However, we know that there is more work to be done to get KRL staff to a fair market salary that also factors in the rising cost of living in Kitsap County," Hacker said in the statement.

WPEA will bargain a successor agreement with the library next year, Hacker said.

Driver said he is grateful that both sides reached an agreement that offers "clear pathways" for staff to have work-life balance and acquire training and development, the director said.

"I think in any negotiation, the idea is to reach the middle to find common ground, and I'm proud that we were able to do that," Driver said.

Outside of work, Driver said his family ⁠— his wife and two children ⁠— have been hiking and kayaking and occasionally taking the ferry to Seattle.

"We're happy. We're not looking back, that's for sure," Driver said. "I'm a Kitsap resident and I have my Kitsap driver's license — I mean, my Washington driver's license, rather — and my DNA is starting to be here."

Reach breaking news reporter Peiyu Lin at pei-yu.lin@kitsapsun.com or on Twitter @peiyulintw.

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This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Kitsap Regional Library's new executive director ready to serve community