CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — James Hill, executive director of the Chillicothe and Ross County Public Library, will retire effective Oct. 30 after nearly nine years leading the system, the library announced.
Hill joined CRCPL as executive director in February 2017. During his tenure, the library launched the Bee Mobile Library outreach vehicle in 2022, added 24/7 BookHive pickup lockers in underserved areas of the county, and opened a new branch in Kingston, according to the library. The library also expanded its lending collection to include tools, technology and recreational equipment, and carried out facility improvements across its locations, the library said.
Hill also guided the library through the COVID-19 pandemic and was named Ohio’s Librarian of the Year in 2021, the library said. In 2020, Ross County voters approved a continuing operating levy for the library with 70% support.
“James has helped shape the library into an organization that continues to grow and respond to the changing needs of our community,” CRCPL Board President Tamra Lowe said in a statement.
Cassie Schaaf Stout, the library’s chief fiscal officer, will serve as interim director while the CRCPL Board of Trustees determines next steps for selecting permanent leadership, according to the library.
Hill thanked library staff and the board in his retirement announcement, the library said.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Chillicothe and Ross County Public Library.
