Washington Public Library Director Heidi Kaiven to retire; board will post civil-service vacancy

Heidi Kaiven, director of the Washington Public Library, submitted a letter of resignation effective at the end of June, the Board of Trustees recorded at its March 26 meeting. The minutes note that because Kaiven is retiring from her public school position and taking a pension, state rules require a three-month break from other public employment; the board said the library must post the position within the civil service system and cannot pre-arrange her return.

Board President Rosemarie Rosati told trustees that Kaiven’s departure will be difficult to replace, citing Kaiven’s decade of service in a part-time role and a list of accomplishments: expanding programming, securing grant funding, overseeing a website overhaul that allows staff to update event information locally, arranging a new circulation desk to increase staff efficiency, and strengthening the library’s relationship with the Borough of Washington through outreach at borough events and Council presentations. The board discussed the need to post the vacancy and proceed through the civil-service hiring process.