Live Oak Public Libraries is a system of 16 library locations serving citizens in Chatham, Effingham, and Liberty Counties in Georgia. 2023 was a year of amazing growth for the library system. Live Oak Public Libraries saw new highs in number of patrons visits [625,000+], library programs attendees [84,000+] and items checked out [850,000+].
Live Oak Public Libraries was first established in 1903 as the Savannah Public Library and was located in a room at the Georgia Historical Society. A main library building on Bull Street was opened in 1916. In 1945, Effingham County Library joined the Savannah Public Library to form the Chatham-Effingham Regional Library, and in 1956, the regional library expanded to include Liberty County, establishing the Chatham-Effingham-Liberty Regional Library. The library’s name was changed to Live Oak Public Libraries in 2002 to reflect the personality of the region as well as the life and growth of its branches.
We met the system’s Executive Director Lola DeWitt at the Public Library Association conference in April 2024, and in the summer, she contacted us to help them find their next Director of Human Resources.
Lola and her Deputy Library Director, Jennifer Baxter, were gracious hosts as we toured the branches and learned more about this system that spans three counties. They said:
OA has deep experience recruiting for libraries and we knew we wanted to work with a partner to help us find our next HR director. Their experience in both the public library space as well as recruiting for senior library positions and especially Human Resources leaders made them an obvious choice to help us with this search.
Because of their expertise in both libraries and human resources, they were able to engage with candidates quickly from the private, nonprofit, and public sectors who met our criteria and demonstrated the experience, fit, and motivation to take on the challenges that a multi-unit and customer-oriented organization has.
They facilitated our assessment process and assisted the candidates in their preparation to meet with us and our leadership team. They provided tools to tell our story effectively and why Live Oak Public Libraries was the place to build one’s career.
Our new Director of Human Resources is off to a great start, and we are so pleased to have her as an addition to our leadership team. We are grateful for the assistance and attention OA paid to learning about us and helping us find a true leader.
Organizational Architecture is the trusted partner for more than thirty public libraries for human resources consulting, recruiting, performance management, and leadership development. If you need help in any of these areas, contact us to learn more.
