Newbury Library Names Search Committee After Director Announces June Departure

NEWBURY — May 20, 2026 — Newbury Library Board launches director search after Hart announces June 4 departure. Library Director Haley Hart formally announced her resignation at the May 20 Board of Trustees meeting, ending roughly 14 years in the role. The board unanimously appointed trustees Alexander Burick and Melissa Mashburn to a two-member screening committee to filter applications before finalists come to the full board, a structure used in the previous director search. The position has been listed with the Merrimack Valley Library Consortium since mid-May and had drawn two applications as of the meeting date, with a dedicated Gmail application inbox not yet receiving responses. Hart said the library enters the search with approximately $55,000 in accumulated state aid available, receives roughly $14,000 in new state aid annually, and carries additional gift and donation funds — resources the board said give it flexibility in negotiating a salary for the incoming director.