The Blue Mountains Public Library has a new CEO.
Jennifer Murley started in the CEO position on Dec. 4 and she is excited about the opportunity to join the team in The Blue Mountains.
Murley is a Collingwood native and was CEO of the Grey Highlands Public Library prior to coming to The Blue Mountains. She also worked in Collingwood and Innisville.
“It’s a very unique opportunity. I’m familiar with the community, being from Collingwood,” said Murley, adding she is impressed with the support local residents have for the library. “It very much feels like home, it’s comfortable and it’s obvious the community is behind the library.”
Murley sat down with CollingwoodToday for an interview at the Craigleith Heritage Depot and library branch. She said she is looking forward to the opportunities that come with having the museum as part of the library system.
“I’m taking a lot more time getting to know the museum aspect. It’s a special part of the The Blue Mountains Public Library system,” she said.
Murley spent her first week on the job getting up to speed with the help of outgoing library CEO Dr. Sabrina Saunders.
“The Blue Mountains Public Library is definitely your gold standard library – everybody wants to work with BMPL,” she said. “Sabrina has an incredible legacy. It’s a great team.”
The library held a special “meet the new CEO” event on Dec. 7 that was well attended by the community.
Murley said the support the town and council has shown the library has been impressive. She praised the memorandum of understanding between the town and the library board and the funding agreement.
“It’s very comforting to know the relationship between the library and the municipality is strong,” she said. “I really am walking into a library that is functioning so well.”
She said one of her priorities will be continuing to raise the profile of the museum aspect of the operation and continuing work on future expansion of library services in the town.
“There are lots of exciting conversations about expansion. I know nothing is set in stone. There are feasible ideas for right now and also 10 years from now,” she said. “It’s definitely a project I will be following up on.”
