Matt DeLaney Named Next Executive Director at Manchester Community Library

Manchester, VT — The Board of Trustees of the Manchester Community Library has appointed Matt DeLaney, currently the Library Director of the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, Maine, as its new Executive Director. He will succeed Ed Surjan, who came to MCL in 2022 and announced last fall that he would be stepping down due to emerging health concerns.

DeLaney has been in his current role since 2021, where he oversees a staff of eight employees and an operating budget exceeding $800,000. At the Jesup, DeLaney has been responsible for all administrative functions, including budget development and oversight, grant writing, community outreach, program development, marketing, and construction, as well as the management of a $9.1 million construction project.

“We are thrilled that Matt will be joining MCL this summer as our new Executive Director,” said MCL Board President John Clark. “Matt’s breadth of library experience encompasses both urban and rural libraries, and the similarities between the Jesup and MCL, in terms of staff size, operating budget, funding streams, and tourist locale, are uncanny. We are confident that Matt will build upon the significant progress MCL has made under Ed Surjan’s leadership.”

Before joining the Jesup, DeLaney served as the Library Director of the Millinocket Memorial Library in Millinocket, Maine, following stints as Administrative Director of the Onondaga County Public Library in Syracuse, New York, and as Library Director of the Manlius Library in Manlius, New York. He earned his B.A. from Binghamton University and his Master of Science in Information Science from the University of Albany. In 2018, he was awarded “Outstanding Librarian of the Year” by the Maine Library Association.

“My wife Emilie and I are excited to be moving to Vermont this summer with our two young boys,” DeLaney commented. “At MCL, I look forward to working with a great team that I can support and learn from, and joining a wonderful community where I can raise my family. The Manchester Community Library is in a fantastic corner of the world and has developed a world-class library. I am delighted to be joining MCL and building upon its impressive achievements.”

DeLaney’s appointment is effective August 1.