Marcela Peres has been chosen as the new director of the Lewiston Public Library.

LEWISTON — Marcela Peres has been chosen as the new director of the Lewiston Public Library, where she’ll replace the retiring Rick Speer on June 1. 

City Administrator Ed Barrett announced the decision in a news release Wednesday, following a national search that fielded 25 candidates.

Peres is the adult services librarian and has worked at the library since 2012.

Ultimately, Barrett said he and the search committee chose Peres because of her knowledge of the library and Lewiston community, as well as her vision for its future.

“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,” he said.  

Speer is retiring after leading the library for more than three decades. A farewell celebration was held last week at Museum L-A. 

Peres has frequently filled in for Speer, according to the news release.

Speer said Wednesday that he’s “extremely pleased” with the search committee’s choice.

“Marcela has a firm grasp not only of our community here in Lewiston, but also of technology and the role of libraries in the 21st century,” he said. 

He added he was “honored on many levels” by his official send-off last week. 

Peres said in the news release Tuesday that she’s “honored and grateful” for the support from the search committee, library staff and community members who participated in the selection process.

“I look forward to leading the Lewiston Public Library into its next chapter and working to ensure its continued success as the heart of community learning and growth in Lewiston,” she said. 

Prior to arriving in Lewiston, Peres, (pronounced “Paris”) oversaw all library operations for Southwest Florida College in Tampa, Florida. She holds a Master of Science degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University. 

The search committee also included members of the library board of trustees, the Friends of the Lewiston Public Library, and Betsy Pohl, director of the Lithgow Public Library in Augusta.

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