Austin appointed as Coshocton Public Library director
COSHOCTON – The Board of Trustees of the Coshocton Public Library is pleased to announce the appointment of Jennifer Austin to the position of Director of the Library. Austin will assume the position on Feb. 10, when current director, Eric Taggart, moves to his new position as Director at Rodman Public Library in Alliance. Austin, a Coshocton native, is currently Assistant Director of Coshocton Public Library.
Austin, the former Jennifer Ricketts, is the daughter of David and Gladys Ricketts of Coshocton, and is a 2000 graduate of Coshocton High School. She attended Otterbein College, graduating in 2004 with a degree in broadcast journalism. She began working at Coshocton Public Library in 2004, first as West Lafayette Branch Library assistant, then as Young Adult Coordinator at the main library. In 2013, Austin earned a Master’s of Library and Information Science with a focus in public library administration from Kent State University. She was appointed Assistant Director and Teen Librarian upon completion of her degree, a position she has held for four years. During that time she has been instrumental in implementing a successful volunteer program, was actively involved in the passing of the library’s first levy, has been successful in seeking grant money for library programs and events, and has been responsible for the steady increase in teen involvement at the library. Austin is a member of Ohio Library Council, the Presbyterian Church, Junior Woman’s Club, Friends of the Museum, and a member of The Golden Key International Honour Society.
Austin’s primary goal as she begins her new position is to provide a smooth transition for both the staff and the community. She plans to begin implementing new services, especially digital, to extend library hours, and to further build the library’s collection, all made possible with the passage of the Library Levy last November. She looks forward to providing the same level of service the community has enjoyed during Taggart’s tenure.
Austin and her husband, Joe, are residents of West Lafayette, Ohio.
Category: People & Places
