The Enoch Pratt Free Library on Monday named a new president and CEO.Chad Helton, a former library consultant and director of the Hennepin County Library in Minnesota, will take the helm of Baltimore’s library system.Helton, who brings more than 15 years of experience in public and academic libraries, was selected after nationwide search to replace the Pratt’s former head, Heidi Daniels.Daniels stepped down from that role in February to lead the King County Public Library in Washington state. Darcell Graham, the Pratt’s vice president of public services, served as the interim CEO during the search for a permanent CEO.Christine Espenshade, chair of the Pratt Library’s Board of Directors, called Helton “the right leader for the Enoch Pratt Free Library’s next chapter.”“His deep industry experience and creative approach to addressing infrastructure needs will be invaluable as we work toward a bold future for the Pratt Library,” Espenshade said in a statement. “We are confident that his leadership, coupled with a commitment to community, will ensure that the Pratt Library continues to thrive as a cornerstone of Baltimore. Chad’s expertise will help us build on the momentum we’ve already gained, including record-high library cardholders and circulation, as well as securing funding for ongoing infrastructure improvements.”Espenshade also thanked Graham for her “exceptional leadership” as interim CEO.In a video message, Helton described dropping out of his undergraduate studies at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill after struggling with “the pressures of me being one of the rare Black kids from my community to go to college.”During the subsequent 10 years, he experienced homelessness and chronic underemployment. But a conversation with his grandmother changed that trajectory.“She grew up in Jim Crow, and my parents grew up in segregation,” he said. “Think about the people who came before you, that did not have the opportunities. Every day is a new day to change someone’s life — including your own.”A friend helped Helton get a job delivering books on a golf cart for the local library.“I started to see the importance of the library, and what the library means, and what the library has to offer,” he said. “The library is whatever you want it to be and whatever you need it to be.”Helton has worked for more than 15 years in the library field, including most recently as a library consultant.He previously served as the director of Hennepin County Library in Minnesota, where he oversaw 41 branches, an annual $65 million budget, and the library system’s navigation of the COVID-19 pandemic.Helton has also worked as the Director of Branch Library Services at the Los Angeles Public Library, where he managed more than 70 branches and the department’s more than $114 million budget; Deputy County Librarian in the Contra Costa County Library; and Library Services Manager in the City of Palo Alto Library.He also brings academic library experience, after holding positions at Stanford University, University of California-Davis, North Carolina State University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.“I do not take this responsibility lightly,” Helton said in a statement. “I understand the significance of leading one of the nation’s first free public library systems, and I am deeply honored to take on this role.”Helton added that he plans to continue the Pratt’s work of empowering communities and effecting change.“Libraries are not just places for books—they are vital community resources that promote the greater good,” he said. “I look forward to expanding the Pratt Library’s services, modernizing our infrastructure, and ensuring that everyone in Baltimore has access to the information and opportunities they need to succeed.”In his video, Helton highlighted some of the Pratt’s current programs and partnerships, such as Peer Navigators, who help community members on the journey of recovery from substance abuse disorder; Maryland Legal Aid, whose attorneys meet with library patrons to provide legal consultations; and the new Pratt Free Market, a resource for food insecure residents.Helton earned a Master of Science degree in Library and Information Studies from Florida State University, a Master of Public Administration from the University of San Francisco, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in African-American Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education from Vanderbilt University.He has been an active member of the American Library Association; the Public Library Association; the Urban Libraries Council; and Pi Alpha Alpha, the Global Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration.