(Belcamp, Maryland – March 28, 2013) The Harford County Public Library Director, Mary Hastler, is pleased to announce that Joe Thompson has joined the organization as Senior Administrator, Public Services. In his role, Thompson is responsible for managing and overseeing all of the Library’s public service operations.
“I’m incredibly happy to be a part of this organization,” stated Thompson. “Harford County Public Library is recognized across the state for its strong culture of creativity and willingness to experiment. I love how the Library gears its activities toward exceeding the expectations of the people who use the services, from the new books and DVDs to the great programming and literacy initiatives, including the recent launch of Little Leapers 3.5 and a customer favorite, the Winter Reading Program!”
Thompson comes to Harford County Public Library from Western Maryland Regional Library where he provided support for the public libraries across Washington, Allegany, and Garrett Counties as Associate Director. Prior to that he was a librarian at Baltimore County Public Library and was the first coordinator of the state’s 24/7 online information service, Maryland AskUsNow!, a project that was launched in 2001 by Harford County Public Library and Baltimore County Public Library.
Thompson is also currently the incoming president of the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Association. On the weekends he can regularly be found supporting organizations that advance excellent library service, including the Maryland Library Association and Citizens for Maryland Libraries. A 2001 graduate of the Library and Information Science program at the University of Maryland College Park, he continues to support the students at UMCP by mentoring and reviewing resumes for the students.
From Towson, Thompson’s roots take him back to Harford County as his great grandparents lived in Havre de Grace. One of the things Thompson is most excited about is the opportunity to help with the design and construction of the new Havre de Grace Library. His wife, Susan, is the Command Historian for the Communications and Electronics Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground.
Harford County Public Library operates eleven branches located throughout Harford County, Maryland. The library serves 182,000 registered borrowers of all ages and has an annual circulation of over 4.1 million. Harford County Public Library is committed to connecting people with information and promoting the love of reading within the community.