The Ames Public Library has been on a national search a for a new director. On Oct. 26, the library announced that it has narrowed down its selection to three candidates.

The search to fill the position was initiated after current director Lynn Carey announced her retirement. She is planning on leaving the position in January of 2019, ending her time as director for more than 30 years, according to a press release from the city.

There are many job duties of a library director. Besides being responsible for the fiscal, operational and personnel-oriented duties of the library, a director is responsible for ensuring that the mission and objectives of the library are being met. Beyond this, the director must report to the Library Board of Trustees on the condition of the institution.

In order to give the candidates exposure to the public, presentations have been scheduled so the public can meet the finalists.

The next presentation will be held on Tuesday. Eric Seuss is the final candidate and will be speaking in the auditorium of the Ames Public Library at 4 p.m. He is currently the Director of the Marshall Public Library in Pocatello, Idaho. Since 1996, Seuss has been the director of four different public libraries. He has a master’s degree in Information and Library Studies from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Government and English from The University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana.

The first presentation was on Nov. 6 and featured Cheryl Heid. She is currently serving as the Library Director for the City of Grimes, a positions she’s held since 2015. From 2000-2015, she was the Technical Services Assistant Librarian for the Johnston Public Library. Prior to 2000, she served as a teacher at St. Anthony Catholic School and Forest Ridge Girls Correctional Facility. Heid has a master’s degree in Library and Information Science that she earned at San Jose State University in San Jose, California.

The second presentation occurred on Nov. 8 and featured John Thill. He is currently the Public Services Manager at the Meridian Library District in Meridian, Idaho. He’s held the position since 2016 and was the Head of Reference/Librarian at the Napa County Library in Napa, Calif. Thill also served as a library assistant at several other libraries in California. He holds a master’s degree in English from the University of California in Riverside, California.

“The public is encouraged to attend the public presentations and share feedback on the candidates,” according to a press release from the City of Ames.