As an advocate for literacy, technology integration and social services, Joey McNamee is poised to lead the Salt Lake County Library into a new chapter. McNamee was named the County Library’s new director earlier this summer after the library board voted in favor of her appointment. 

McNamee has served as interim library director since February, when the previous director, Jim Cooper, retired after 23 years of service. Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson ratified the decision of the board which places McNamee in charge of overseeing operations and strategic planning for the library system. 

“With two decades of experience at different state and county departments, Joey has demonstrated a deep interest in the needs and services of our residents,” Wilson said. “I am thrilled that her dedication to public service has found a place at Salt Lake County Library.”

McNamee worked in Salt Lake County’s Aging and Adult Services division for more than a decade before being appointed associate director for the Salt Lake County Community Services department in 2022. After a months-long, nationwide search for a new library director, the board realized they already had the right person in place. 

“Searching for a new director can be a challenging process, but we were pleased with the quality of applicants interested in the Salt Lake County Library and all we offer to Salt Lake County residents,” said Spencer Romney, chair of the Salt Lake County Library board. “In just a short time, Joey has shown her strengths as a leader and her extensive knowledge and expertise; we can’t wait to see how her strategy and planning fulfill the library’s mission.”

Although she’s feeling a little overwhelmed, McNamee is grateful for the opportunity to ensure the library continues to be a vital community resource and creativity center. 

“I’m lucky that the process took as long as it did, because it gave me a chance to be working in the agency and getting to know the incredible staff who are so dedicated and warm and professional,” McNamee said. “The longer I worked there, the more I wanted to stay.”

With 18 full-service branches, plus programs at the Viridian Event Center, the Salt Lake County Jail and the South Main Clinic, the County Library is one of the top 10 highest-performing circulating libraries in the country. Nearly 13 million items are checked out each year and more than two-thirds of county households have an active library card. 

McNamee’s responsibilities include overseeing long-term planning projects, like building updates and expansion. She’ll also be part of the evolution making libraries a community hub.

“Libraries have always been hubs of information and that used to only be books,” she said. “Now that information is accessed electronically, or we serve as community spaces, and we have learning spaces and meeting spaces and create spaces in our library where people are learning new tools and skills. So I think libraries are certainly shifting in how people experience the facilities themselves, but it’s still really core to expanding what you know about the world.”

As communities discover more ways to build connections, McNamee sees the library’s role as key to bridging cultures, demographics and economic disparities. With her background in social services, her first goal is to soak up as much knowledge as she can and set the stage for the County Library to make effective moves in the future.

“I can say that I’m tremendously grateful for this opportunity to work with such an incredible staff and serve a community that I love,” she said.