Marcela Peres has served as the city’s Adult Services Librarian since 2012.

After a national search that attracted 25 applicants, Lewiston City Administrator Ed Barrett has announced that Marcela Peres will be the new Director of Lewiston Public Library. A Lewiston resident and LPL employee since 2012, Peres currently serves as the city’s Adult Services Librarian. In that capacity, she has frequently filled in for long-time Library Director Rick Speer, who is retiring at the end of May.

Prior to arriving in Lewiston, Peres was the College Librarian for Southwest Florida College in Tampa, Florida, where she oversaw all library operations. She holds a Master of Science degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a B.A. from Cornell University. She is active in the Maine, New England, and American Library Associations and is a graduate of the New England Library Leadership Symposium, the Maine Library Leadership Institute, and the Androscoggin Leadership Development Institute. 

In addition to the City Administrator, the search committee included representatives of the library’s Board of Trustees, the Friends of the Lewiston Public Library, and Betsy Pohl, Director of Lithgow Public Library in Augusta. 

“Marcela rose to the top of the field based on her knowledge of our library and community, her vision for the library’s future, the work she has done to prepare herself for this position, and her enthusiasm,” said Barrett. “As the hiring process moved forward, the members of the search committee became more and more convinced that she was the right candidate for the job.” 

“The combination of Marcela’s educational background, relevant experience, collaborative instincts, forward-looking vision, and deep commitment to this community set her apart from other applicants,” agreed board chair and search committee member Darby Ray. “She is superbly qualified to lead the library into the future.”

“I am honored and grateful to have the support of the City Administrator, Board of Trustees, library staff, and the many community members who participated in this selection process,” said Peres. “I look forward to leading Lewiston Public Library into its next chapter and working to ensure its continued success as the heart of community learning and growth in Lewiston.”