Following a national search, the Board of Trustees has unanimously chosen Peter Coyl to be the next Director of the Montclair Public Library. Mr. Coyl succeeds David Hinkley, who retired at the end of 2016 after ten years in the position.
Coyl is currently a Senior Librarian with the Dallas Public Library, which he has served since 2011. His diverse background includes managing an international school library in Taiwan and, prior to his library career, work as a staff member of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. Coyl receive his undergraduate degree from Oakland University in Michigan and his Master of Science in Library and Information Science from Drexel University.
Coyl began his own library career began as a bookmobile driver in Rochester Hills, Michigan.
Board of Trustees President Wilfred Adkins Library Trustees announced the news today, thanking the search committee — Clifford Kulwin, Chair, and Diana Lunin, Eve Schaenen, Alison Bauer and Claire Wallsm — and stating that the Board was impressed by Coyl’s knowledge of the field and his enthusiasm for libraries, as well as his experience in personnel management, program planning and evaluation, and budgeting and finance.
Coyl is active in the profession, serving as chair of the GLBT Round Table of the American Library Association and as a member of the Intellectual Freedom Committee of the Texas Library Association.
Adkins says Coyl looks forward to becoming a part of Montclair and plans to dedicate his first months to immersing himself in the community, meeting as many local leaders and familiarizing himself with as many local institution as possible.