BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Buffalo and Erie County Public Library has a new leader following a nationwide search.
Christine Schonhart is taking over the role as the library’s director. She is currently working for the Brooklyn Public Library as deputy chief librarian and will head to Buffalo in August.
In an interview with Library Board Chair Carima El-Behairy, she told WIVB News 4 the library wanted to find an individual who will continue their mission of being “profoundly public,” which means access for all. She explained the process of searching for the right fit for the role.
“So we actually started this selection process in September,” El-Behairy said. “We take a hiatus in August, and our previous director, John Spears, passed July 20 last summer. So we started the process in September. We engaged a national firm … to handle this because this is a specialized search. This is a library director search, and there are special degrees, things like that, so we wanted to make sure we had the right candidate in place.”
El-Behairy said the library received 34 candidates from all across the country.
Watch the full interview in the video player below.
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Gabriella Baiano has been a digital producer with WIVB since November 2025. View more of her work here.
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