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Englewood Library names Rachel Few as incoming director; staff outline vacancies and strategic plan timing
Summary
Library staff announced Rachel Few will start as library director, confirmed Carrie Watson as operations manager, and discussed vacancies to be filled after the director begins; staff described near‑term strategic plan work and an upcoming community task force meeting.
Christina Underhill, director for Englewood City’s Parks, Recreation, Library and Golf Department, told the library board that the new library director, Rachel Few, will start on the 24th of the month and that Carrie Watson recently began as the library’s operations manager.
Underhill said staff expect an initial busy period as the new director meets staff and reviews priorities. “She is coming from the Denver Central Library,” Underhill said, and staff conveyed strong support from interview panels.
The nut graf: the leadership changes coincide with an active strategic planning process; staff said some vacancies will be filled only after the new director reviews staffing needs.
Underhill said the library deliberately delayed backfilling certain vacancies until Few begins so the new director can assess organizational structure and priorities. Board members asked that any additional reporting requirements not impose unnecessary work on staff and suggested data collected be aligned to strategic‑plan goals — for example, tracking study‑room use and active card holders in ways that support decisions about facilities and collections.
Staff reviewed the library’s first annual report cycle and highlighted trends in service metrics. Carrie Watson, the new operations manager, and board members noted study room bookings have risen after a change to a stricter two‑hour policy, and that digital circulation (e.g., Hoopla) has grown as physical circulation declined relative to the prior year. Staff said they will continue tracking which metrics best inform strategic decisions about space and collections.
Kimberly Powers, children’s librarian, led staff focus groups on the library’s mission and vision work. A consultant, Barry Dunn, will present strategic‑plan findings to the board at an upcoming meeting; staff said a community task force is scheduled to meet next week to gather public input.
Board business included announcing officer elections to occur in March; Chair Marie Hota said she will not be present for that meeting and expects a new chair and vice chair will be selected then.
Less critical details: staff praised Carrie Watson’s performance during transition; the board asked staff to review which data items are required by the state and which are discretionary to reduce reporting burden.
