Marion County Commissioners appoint Elizabeth “Nikki” Johnson to Indianapolis Public Library Board

Joseph O’Connor, president of the Marion County Commissioners, announced the commissioners’ appointment of Elizabeth Nicole Johnson to the Indianapolis Public Library Board during the March 17 meeting in Room 260 of the County Building. The board voted to confirm the appointment and later administered the oath of office.

Johnson, who said she prefers “Nikki,” described her background to the commissioners: “I am Elizabeth Nicole Johnson, but I am more commonly known as Nikki Johnson,” and told the board she is a business librarian at Butler University and has worked in Indiana libraries for 15 years, including as branch manager at the Martindale-Brightwood branch from 2019 to 2021. Commissioners noted Johnson’s experience with community branches and library services as the reason for the appointment, which replaces a long-standing appointee, Patricia Payne.

Barbara Hart moved to appoint Johnson; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. After the vote, Johnson stood before the commissioners, raised her right hand and repeated the oath to “faithfully perform my duties as a member of the Indianapolis Public Library Board of Trustees in Marion County, state of Indiana,” then signed the required documents.

The appointment is administrative and took immediate effect following the oath. The board recessed into other agenda items after the swearing-in; its next meeting is scheduled for April 15 at 2 p.m. in Room 260 of the County Building.