Norman Holman Named Senior Vice President and Director of Capital Planning and Construction for The New York Public Library

President LeClerc said "The Library has benefitted greatly from Norman's in-depth knowledge of construction and his many initiatives while Director of The Branch Libraries. He has already made a remarkable impact on The Library's capital programs since taking over that department. The Library will continue to have a significant building and renovation program in the future and Norman is the right person to lead that effort. He brings commitment and strong management ability to his work, and will be an effective leader in the Library's second century of service."

While Director of The Branch Libraries, Mr. Holman's major achievements included:
 

• Numerous branch renovations through the Adopt-A-Branch program, an innovative project that matches New York City funding with private contributions for urgently needed renovations to branches throughout the NYPL system.

• The launch of "Click on @ the library," a program made possible by a $2.28 million grant from the Picower Foundation for the start-up and implementation  of the Library's information literacy program. "Click on @ the library" provides computer instruction at ten NYPL branch locations.

• Taking part in the successful negotiations between the City of New York and the librarians' union Local 1930 for a significant wage increase for NYPL librarians.

• An increased materials budget, which included securing major gifts of $5 million from The Vincent Astor Foundation for a book endowment for the purchase of quality fiction, poetry, and anthologies and $3 million from The Uris Brothers Foundation, Inc., to establish an endowment for children's books and materials.

• The institution of organizational changes resulting in improved efficiency in materials purchasing.

• The full funding of the Connecting Library and Schools Project (CLASP). CLASP links public and private schools serving students in kindergarten through 8th grade with public libraries. Begun as a pilot project in select school districts in 1991, CLASP is now available in all New York City community school districts through budget initiatives of the New York City Council.

• The launch of a significant effort to "spruce-up" branches throughout the NYPL system that were not scheduled for full renovations, but were in need of interior work. Popular with staff and patrons, spruce-up branches are closed for approximately three months for painting, carpeting, furniture, lighting, and telecommunications upgrades.

As Director of Capital Planning and Construction, Mr. Holman will oversee the final stages of the major renovation of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, the construction of the South Court building in the landmark Humanities and Social Sciences Library, the renovation and expansion of the Mid-Manhattan Library, the building of a new central library in the Bronx, the completion of an off site storage facility in conjunction with Princeton and Columbia Universities, as well as an ambitious plan of renovations and new building projects in the branch library system.

"I have always had an interest in and affinity for library buildings, systems, and architecture," said Mr. Holman. "This position is a unique opportunity within the library community in America and I am very fortunate to be offered this new role in light of the number and scale of building projects NYPL has taken on in recent years."

Before coming to New York City, Mr. Holman had worked for 18 years at the Cleveland Public Library, where he oversaw numerous construction and renovation projects including: the construction of a  $90 million technologically innovative central library, the retrofitting of a vintage 1970s school to accommodate the library's technical services department; the creation of a regional library for the blind and physically handicapped; and the creation of an offsite storage facility. His appointments there included Deputy Director since 1986, Interim Director, Director of Personnel, and Head of Community Services. A native of Madison, Wisconsin, Mr. Holman received a master's degree in library science and also a master's degree in musicology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

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