Who We Are
Lisa McClure, Library Director
Email: lmcclure@washoecounty.gov
Lisa McClure joined Washoe County Library System as its latest Director on April 20, 2026. A lifelong reader and user of libraries, Lisa earned her MA in English Language and Literature from the University of Michigan. After determining that a career in libraries would allow her to more directly inspire students and the greater population, she returned for a second Masters degree in Information and Library Studies.
Ms. McClure began her library career in Michigan as a school librarian, and has since served as a reference librarian, youth and teen librarian, administrator, and library director, most recently in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Lisa is looking forward to getting to know her new adopted home in Northern Nevada, and bringing her dedication to transformative library services to local residents.
Library Administration
301 S. Center St.
Reno, NV
89501
Fax: 775-327-8392
Debi Stears, Collection Development Manager
Telephone: 775-327-8349
Email: ddstears@washoecounty.gov
Brenda Owens, Library Technology Manager
Telephone: 775-327-8347
Email: bowens@washoecounty.gov
John Andrews, Internet Services Librarian
Telephone: 775-327-8364
Email: jandrews@washoecounty.gov
Jamie Hemingway, Public Information and Development Officer
Telephone: 775-327-8360
Email: jhemingway@washoecounty.gov
Our Mission & Vision
Our Mission ... is to connect people with information, ideas and experiences to support an enriched and engaged community, one person at a time.
Our Vision ... is that all Washoe County residents benefit from the Library's support of literacy and self-education.
Our Statement of Values
Learning and Literacy
We uphold lifelong learning as the core foundation of our service, and promote reading as a fundamental life skill.
Inclusiveness
We make enriching cultural and intellectual resources available to all.
Customer Service
We help meet the need of information services, while effectively addressing the range of literacy levels.
Community
We address the desire for self-directed personal growth and development opportunities.
Staff
We recruit and retain qualified employees, provide them with timely training and development opportunities, and recognize that they are our most valuable resource.
Fiscal Responsibility
We manage the human and financial resources entrusted to us in a cost-effective manner, and support only those facilities and services that are sustainable within the realities of our financial limits.
Adaptability
As a forward-thinking organization, we are responsive to our users' needs and interests, continuously adapting what we do and how we do it.
Collaboration
We believe in the power of coming together, and expand our impact in the community through appropriate partnerships with individuals, public and nonprofit agencies, educators, community groups and businesses.