Gretchen Caserotti, whose work in libraries has taken her to New York and Idaho, is the new executive director of Pierce County Library System.

She was selected by the PCLS Board of Trustees following a nationwide search for candidates to replace Georgia Lomax, who has retired after serving as executive director since 2014.

Caserotti, who will start her duties May 16, said she is looking forward to meeting Pierce County residents and “learning how and where we can best bring value to communities. Building community is at the center of my work. I’m an advocate for taking library services and resources to where people need them most.”

She is the fifth executive director in the 76 years of PCLS, which has a $43 million budget and serves unincorporated Pierce County and 15 cities and towns.

Caserotti has been the director of the Meridian Library District in Meridian, Idaho since 2013. Before that, she was a children’s librarian for New York City Public Library and an assistant director for Darien (Connecticut) Library.

“We are delighted to work with Gretchen and know the staff and the community will benefit greatly with her leading the Library System, said Jamilyn Penn, the chairwoman of the Board of Trustees.

Penn said Caserotti’s “impressive business acumen, leadership success, and excellent community-building skills made her our top choice” from among “a strong pool of candidates.”

Caserotti was one of three finalists. The others were Will O’Hearn, library services director for Eugene (Ore.) Public Library, and Robyn Saint-Paen, director of library experiences for Live Oak Public Libraries in Savannah, Ga.