Princeton Public Library appoints new executive director

New executive director of Princeton Public Library Brett Bonfield plans to spearhead educational initiatives for privacy protection, solicit input from the community and collaborate closely with the University.

Bonfield’s appointment by the library’s Board of Trustees marks the end of the tenure of current PPL director Leslie Burger. Bonfield will assume the position when Burger steps down in January.

Burger announced her plans to retire in July, leaving a vacancy for this permanent position that drew 25 candidates, according to NJ.com.

Members of the PPL Board of Trustees did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Burger did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Bonfield graduated from Rutgers University and previously served as a librarian at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University and St. Joseph’s University. He is currently the director of Collingswood Library in Camden County.

Bonfield noted that in spite of changes in technology, libraries have not lost their unique function in communities. According to Bonfield, though users may not be coming in to locate the reference number of a particular book, more have been seeking specialized information and sources.

“What we get is a lot more involved, challenging questions, which requires more specialized training for the librarians,” Bonfield noted.

Bonfield also expressed hopes for continued collaboration with the community, including the University.

“We will make sure that we are listening to library users, stakeholders, the universities,” he said.

Having volunteered for the Library Freedom Project, an awareness initiative for surveillance threats, Bonfield explained that he hopes to expand programs educating the public about privacy protection on electronic devices. He added that he believes this is a challenge that societies at large have wrestled with in the past few years with transformations in technology.

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“Libraries are agile institutions, and libraries are getting more involved in helping people address those needs because libraries have for decades valued intellectual freedom and freedom of inquiry,” Bonfield said, adding that libraries have always been meticulous about privacy protection, so much that most libraries will delete all records of material checkouts by users.

Bonfield said that, having grown up in Princeton, his attachment to the Princeton community and respect for PPL motivated him to bid for the directorship.

“Princeton is a terrific community,” Bonfield said. “It’s a community with great values I share.”

Bonfield also described the PPL as a model library where he studied while a student in professional school.

Matt Grobis GS, a frequent visitor of PPL, described the library as a great place to go to get off campus for a change of scenery. Grobis noted that many students find PPL a more useful spot for studying than the restaurants and eateries on Nassau Street.

Courtney Buoncore ’18, a tutor for Homework Help, a University-sponsored work-study program that operates in PPL, also said she sees the library as a friendly place for community members.

“Everyone is really friendly there, and there’s a strong camaraderie between staff and visitors,” she said.

Buoncore noted that the library hosts many service programs like the pro bono tutoring initiative she participates in, which helps K-12 grade students Monday through Friday.

Grobis also noted that the visitor population includes more senior citizens who may otherwise have no access to computers.