Brian Bannon Named The Merryl and James Tisch Director of The New York Public Library

A respected innovator with extensive experience in urban libraries, Bannon will lead The New York Public Library’s 88 neighborhood branches and, in an expanded role, continue to develop and grow the institution’s educational strategy

The New York Public Library has named Brian Bannon, current head of the Chicago Public Library system with extensive experience in both education and urban libraries, as its first-ever Merryl and James Tisch Director of The New York Public Library.

Bannon, a known innovator and award-winning leader who has transformed the Chicago Public Library since his appointment as commissioner and chief executive officer in 2012, will be responsible for the operation and direction of The New York Public Library’s 88 neighborhood branches, as well as the Library’s educational strategy.

The position combines the Library’s chief branch library officer role with its educational planning efforts, with a focus on strengthening the Library’s programming to maximize impact for New Yorkers, and contribute to a culture of learning, reading, and education across the city.

The expanded position was made possible with a $20 million gift from Library Trustee James Tisch and his wife Dr. Merryl Tisch, a leading national voice on education and the former Chancellor of the Board of Regents.

Bannon’s appointment was announced at this afternoon’s Board of Trustees meeting; he will start at NYPL on September 3. He replaces former Chief Branch Library Officer Christopher Platt, who left the Library late last year.

“Throughout my career, I have followed The New York Public Library and view it as the gold standard of what is possible in libraries, a powerful example of how legacy institutions can adapt, change, and thrive,” said Bannon. “I am excited about the institution’s direction, and am thrilled to build upon the great, innovative work already happening—especially now. I believe that we are just starting to see the full potential of public libraries. In a new era when online and offline identities are intertwined, and we are interacting with each other differently, it is crucial that public libraries leverage our deeply-embedded network of branch libraries and support and strengthen our communities and harness them as central tools for community learning. I am eager to get started, and thank the Tisch family and the Library for this incredible opportunity.”

“The Library’s focus on education—supporting the city’s efforts, building a culture of learning, and offering accessible, quality programming—has been strong, and we believe under Brian’s leadership and with his vision it will only get stronger and have even more impact,” said New York Public Library President Anthony W. Marx. “The winners here are New Yorkers, who rely so strongly on their branch libraries and staff, and who will benefit from the innovative, passionate leadership that Brian brought to Chicago and will no doubt bring to New York City. We welcome him, and are excited to see what the future holds.”

Bannon brings his nearly 20 years of experience to the Library at an eventful time: the Library, which received approximately 17 million visits and circulated over 20 million items in Fiscal Year 2018, has made strides in its focus area of early literacy, hosting 31,000 early literacy programs and reaching over 788,000 attendees, a 154% increase over two years prior. Approximately 150 staff members were trained in early education best practices to maximize the impact of these programs. The Library has seen a 500% increase in ESOL class participation as well as increases in technology training and job search offerings, and programs for the most vulnerable New Yorkers, as well, including the incarcerated and the homeless.

Additionally, there is a record amount of capital improvement happening in the branches, including a full renovation of the system’s central circulating branch in midtown, which will reopen in early 2020 as the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library.

Bannon’s experience is in developing and implementing innovative educational programs and leading large-scale operations, specifically those that provide digital skills training, community-based learning, and educational advancement for children, families, and adults. His work has spanned the government and non-profit sectors, and he has been recognized as an innovator throughout his career: amongst many other accolades, he has been named to Fast Company’s “100 Most Creative People in Business” list, and was named one of Chicago’s top 100 innovators by Blue Sky Innovation, a publication of the Chicago Tribune.

During his time in Chicago, where he presided over an annual budget of $130 million, he implemented programs that were replicated in cities across the country with a focus on education: for example, family summer program attendance at Chicago Public Library has grown by 80 percent; that attendance is linked to a 15 percent increase in reading and a 20 percent increase in math/science performance in school. Additionally, by adding free personalized online homework assistance and expanding in-person homework help, Chicago Public Library is now the largest provider of free homework help in Chicago. These results have incited new partnerships and investments from philanthropy, business community, researchers, and the social sector.

Before his time in Chicago, Bannon worked as Chief Information Officer at the San Francisco Public Library, and worked at the Seattle Public Library and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He received his bachelor of arts from Pacific Lutheran University and his master’s degree in library and information science from the University of Washington Information School.

About The New York Public Library

The New York Public Library is a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With 92 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars, and has seen record numbers of attendance and circulation in recent years. The New York Public Library serves nearly 17 million patrons who come through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at www.nypl.org. To offer this wide array of free programming, The New York Public Library relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support the Library at nypl.org/support.