MATTAPOISETT — Jennifer Jones will be the next Director of the town’s Public Library, if all goes well with contract negotiations. 

Jones has been at Plymouth Library for 13 years, starting as a youth services librarian and working as a Manomet branch librarian before becoming assistant director. She has a Masters of Library Information Science.

The library search committee and library Board of Trustees interviewed Jones alongside Ellen Snoeyenbos. Shortly after the interview, Snoeyenbos withdrew her application. 

When the group voted to hire Jones on June 8, Library Trustee and search committee member Bill Osier said the group started out with 30 resumes, narrowed that down to ten candidates to interview over Zoom, chose three finalists and had one withdraw for health reasons. 

He listed the process to prove Jones was selected after quite a process, adding that he “thought she was an extremely strong candidate.” 

Trustee Elizabeth Sylvia said she was “in favor of Jennifer even when there was a competition, so I support this choice.” 

Jones said she was interested in the position because “after many years of career progression at one institution, it is time to welcome new challenges and broaden my horizons in the library field.”

In her interview, Jones emphasized she will work with Town Administrator Michael Lorenco on when to reopen, and will work with the physical space in the library to make sure places like stairwells and elevators are safe. 

She acknowledged there are “things that you won’t be able to make a plan for that will just happen,” once the library reopens. She said she will have to figure out how to deal with them, but seemed confident that she could do so using plans from other libraries.   

Jones has experience with grant-writing, helped with Plymouth Library’s five year plan, and created the library’s first teen space,. She believes her knowledge of the South Shore will benefit her in the position. 

Recommenders spoke of her as a lifelong learner and someone who, “works closely with the Council on Aging, Recreation, the schools, and really gets out into the community.”