The Tompkins County Public Library Board of Trustees invites the community to hear from the two finalist candidates for Library Director. The public presentations in the first week of December come after a nationwide search by the Library Director Search Committee.

Each presentation will be held in the BorgWarner Community Room at Tompkins County Public Library’s location at 101 East Green Street in Ithaca. The presentations will also be streamed live on the TCPL YouTube Channel.

Susie Gutenberger Fitzpatrick will make her presentation on Monday, December 1 at 5:00 p.m.

Gutenberger Fitzpatrick is currently the director of the Lansing Community Library in Lansing, N.Y. Since taking on the role in 2008, Gutenberger Fitzpatrick has helped grow LCL from having one staff member, to having a staff of 16 in addition to 60 volunteer positions. She also secured the Library’s absolute charter and 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, created an endowment fund now worth more than $200,000 and has grown programming by 85% and circulation by 70% during her tenure. Finger Lakes Library System named Gutenberger Fitzpatrick Library Director of the Year in 2016 and presented her with its Youth Services Award in 2010.

Gutenberger Fitzpatrick currently serves on the Ithaca Town Board as well as the Tompkins Chamber Board of Directors. She is also an accomplished pastry chef, having been named one of Bon Appétit magazine’s top ten pastry chefs in the U.S. during her time as an executive pastry chef in Chicago.

Emerson DeMeester-Lane will make his presentation on Wednesday, December 3 at 5:00 p.m.

DeMeester-Lane is currently the Deputy Director of Public Services and Customer Experience at Pima County Public Library in Tucson, Ariz. In his current role, DeMeester-Lane oversees the work of 27 library locations that serve a diverse community just 45 minutes from the U.S. – Mexico border. DeMeester-Lane first joined PCPL in 2008, rising from the role of Library Associate to Librarian, Branch Manager and Library Service Manager before taking his current role in 2024. During that time, he co-developed the nationally recognized Library Restorative Practices for Youth program which won the Urban Library Council Innovator Award in 2018. He also co-wrote and managed successful grant applications totaling more than $220,000, coordinated a remodel and major facilities upgrade, expanded mobile programs and established a youth makerspace at a PCPL library branch.

DeMeester-Lane has also served as Board President for the Southern Arizona Gender Alliance and as a Program Director and Youth Mentor at Camp Born This Way in Southern Arizona.

“We are pleased that our national search has yielded two well qualified candidates to lead this historic institution that is such a vibrant center for learning and community engagement,” Search Committee Co-Chairs Lis Chabot and Sarah Clausen said in a statement. “While we have had able Interim Directors, we look forward to having a permanent leader to ably steward the resources and services that align with community needs.”

Each candidate’s presentation will be 20 minutes long, focused on subjects identified as important to the community TCPL serves. There will be time for audience questions and answers following the presentation. A survey will be available for the community to share their thoughts on the candidates and their presentation.

The Board of Trustees hopes to have a new Library Director in place in January, when the term expires for current Interim Library Director Kat Savage.

Each candidate was vetted by Tompkins County Civil Service as well as the Library Director Search Committee which includes trustees, staff, and representatives from the Tompkins County Legislature, the Tompkins County Public Library Foundation, the Friends of the Tompkins County Public Library and the Finger Lakes Library System.