New Director Of Newark Public Library Has Decades Of Experience

NEWARK, NJ — The Newark Public Library has a new director: Christian Zabriskie.

Mayor Ras Baraka and the library board of trustees announced Zabriskie’s appointment to the post on Wednesday. According to a city news release, here’s what earned him the job:

“Mr. Zabriskie has more than 20 years of urban public library experience. He most recently led the Onondaga County Public Library where he oversaw libraries in the City of Syracuse as well as providing library support services to an additional 22 independent libraries in the county … Mr. Zabriskie is a popular writer and speaker in the library profession where he explores issues like library advocacy, library services for adoptive and foster families, services for migrant and refugee populations, and trauma-informed leadership. He is the co-founder of Urban Librarians Unite, a NYC based not-for-profit that focuses on frontline library workers in urban centers. He served as the organization’s executive director for a decade.”

Zabriskie holds a master of science degree in information and library science from Florida State University, as well as a master of arts degree in English language and literature from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. He is the recipient of several awards, including the New York Library Association’s Outstanding Service to Libraries Award, 2019, and Library Journal’s Librarian of the Year for 2020.

“Newark is very fortunate to have such a distinguished new Director of the Newark Public Library as Christian Zabriskie,” Baraka said. “His track record of impactful engagement with urban and marginalized populations will inform his initiatives here in our city and provide access to a full spectrum of innovative library services for all.”

Board of Trustees President Lauren Wells said Zabriskie “brings a wealth of leadership experience” to the Newark Public Library, as well as a “deep commitment to advocacy, social justice and inclusion.”

“His work has empowered relationships between communities and libraries, produced cutting edge research about trauma in urban libraries, and created spaces for library professionals to learn from each other,” Wells said. “We are excited to have Mr. Zabriskie’s experience, knowledge and ideas lead the Newark Public Library toward a 21st century library system that enriches the experiences of our patrons and partners.”

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