The Governor’s Advisory Council and the PA Department of Education are happy to announce that Heather Sharpe, Director of Library Development for the Office of Commonwealth Libraries (OCL) has been appointed to be Deputy Secretary and State Librarian, beginning May 30, 2026.

The search for the new State Librarian drew numerous excellent candidates from across the country and across the globe. After a rigorous interview process, the Governor’s Advisory Council made their recommendation of Heather Sharpe to the Secretary of Education and the Governor’s office for the position. Secretary Carrie Rowe had the final interview and passed her approval on to the Governor for Sharpe’s appointment.

Sharpe joined the Pennsylvania Department of Education in OCL as Division Chief of Grants and Subsidies in August of 2019. She moved into the role of Bureau Director when Susan Banks was installed as Interim Deputy and subsequently appointed to Deputy Secretary and State Librarian.

Her leadership of the Bureau has produced memorable and impactful outcomes, including drafting new regulations, commissioning a new tool to understand and explore the Public Library Subsidy funding formula, oversight of the statewide impact and need assessment for Pennsylvania libraries and a complete re-design of the internal structures of the Bureau. She navigated a nearly complete turnover of the Bureau’s Advisory, Coordination and Administrative staff in her seven years leading the team. Those large changes and numerous more targeted initiatives have transformed the relationship of the Bureau of Library Development with the library field in Pennsylvania.

Heather is a graduate of the 2025 class of the Commonwealth’s Leadership Development Institute. She holds a Master of Science in Library and Information Science from Drexel University, a BA in English/Professional Writing from Kutztown University and is a 6-year veteran of the Marine Corps where she served as Platoon Sergeant in communications operations.

Before joining the Commonwealth, Heather was the Executive Director of the Lancaster Public Library where she also served as Branch Operations Supervisor and Community Relations Manager as well as Business Reference Librarian. Before entering the library field, she worked in the private sector as an editor, CRM administrator, editor and marketing associate.

Susan Banks, retiring Deputy Secretary and State Librarian said, “I watched the search from the sidelines carefully and was happy to see the talented pool of professionals who threw their hats in the ring. But when it came down to who was going to be best for the job – and who could continue the good work of the Office for the people of Pennsylvania, it was clear that Heather was the best choice for the job. It wasn’t just her insight and experience within the Commonwealth (although that was a definite advantage), it was her vision and commitment to serving the people of Pennsylvania with the best of library services that really shone through. I am so proud to hand over the reins to my friend and colleague of 7 years – Heather Sharpe.”

Sharpe’s current position of Bureau Director for Library Development will be posted as soon as possible. There will be additional movement within the bureau as a result of searches that were underway at the same time as that for Deputy Secretary and State Librarian. If you are interested in working with OCL, look for posted positions on the Commonwealth’s employment site.