Town officials announced Rachel Hadidi as the new director of library services. Her first day in the new role will be May 6, a town news release states. Hadidi succeeds Sue Ridnour, who retired in March after 24 years with the Flower Mound Public Library.
The background
Hadidi has more than 10 years of municipal library experience. She has served as the managing director of library services at the Little Elm Public Library since 2022. Prior to that stint, she was the director of library services for Lake Dallas and the community outreach librarian for Plano.
She was selected after the town conducted a national search, using library executive search firm Bradbury Miller Associates. The search yielded 26 applicants from seven states, the release states.
Zooming in
Hadidi holds a bachelor's in history, a master's in library science and a doctorate in interdisciplinary information science, all from the University of North Texas. She is a member of the Texas Municipal League Directors Association and the Public Library Administrators of North Texas.
“I value the connections public libraries make with their communities, and I am looking forward to strengthening that connection in Flower Mound and empowering the excellent staff there to continue their work with community engagement,” Hadidi said in the release. “The Flower Mound Public Library is such an asset, and I feel lucky and excited to work with and get to know the staff and the patrons who truly make the library the resource that it is.”
What they’re saying
Assistant Town Manager Tiffany Bruce, who oversees library services, said she looks forward to Hadidi coming aboard.
“We knew we were searching for someone who could continue to build upon the work that has already been done to ensure the library is a place our community members go to not only for books, but also for programming and educational and creative opportunities,” she said in the release. “Rachel is passionate about all the ways a library can impact its community, and we can’t wait for her to get started.”
