The year was 1999. Books, magazines and newspapers still ruled the Earth. The internet, barely existent, wriggled in a puddle somewhere. Todd Dunkelberg had already earned a master’s in library and information science from the University of Texas-Austin. He’d been working as a children’s librarian when he was tapped to relocate to Central Oregon to manage the Redmond Library.
Flash forward to 2026. Dunkelberg, executive director of the Deschutes Public Library system since 2009, has watched the information age accelerate at Mach speed toward a brave new world.
Libraries, and the reading public alike, have adapted. The way folks seek information has changed as much as the ways libraries serve communities is now technologically focused.
Along the way, Dunkelberg has overseen the implementation of a $195 million bond and construction of the Redmond Public Library and, as of early May, the Central Library at Stevens Ranch in Bend.
Dunkelberg, at 59, is easing toward a long-announced retirement this fall. The trouble herein lies not with what he’ll do with all the newfound free time but in helping find the next person to fill his shoes.
To help with the hunt, The Deschutes Library board of directors signed a $45,000 one-year contract with DSG | Koya, an executive recruiting firm, earlier this year. After reaching out to 300 people and receiving 50 applications, the firm presented 16 candidate résumés. A search committee interviewed eight candidates, arriving on two finalists who traveled to Bend earlier this month to present their visions for the library system.
As the dust settles, however, the position remains open.
The library has temporarily paused its search; it will consider appointing an interim director at its Aug. 12 board meeting.
In the meantime, the Source chatted with Dunkelberg about a career that has spanned a revolutionary period in the library sciences. He also speaks about the relational, playful nature with everyday readers — and library staff alike — who he’s found invaluable in steering a library system into the 21st Century.
[This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.]
the Source: What made you want to join the world of libraries?
Todd Dunkelberg: There’s a book called “What Color is Your Parachute?” [that] goes through a lot of worksheets to figure out what work matches your qualities and what you’re looking for. When I did that, it became obvious that libraries were an amazing fit. I started out in libraries when it was pre-internet. All the information came from research, books, newspapers and archives.
tS: Obviously, there’s since been a revolution in how people consume information.
TD: Yes, but the central customer service, helping connect people to the information, connecting people to the joy of reading — all that still exists. The way we deliver it has changed.
For example, when I started out, it wasn’t unusual to get a call from somebody at a bar saying, “We’re here having an argument, and we want to know who won the World Series in 1962 and how many games it was.”
[Laughter.]
TD: It was fun — it was a pretty heady feeling to be like, I can answer that. We’d grab a sports almanac and go from there. Now, we can do that in about 2 seconds with our thumbs and our cell phones. So that piece has changed a bit, but in a lot of ways, we still use those skills, but to do a deeper dive into research, helping people get beyond the surface and understand how the information they’re getting isn’t accurate. We’re still really about literacy. I was reading an article about a health services library that has virtual reality goggles. Those make me think of gaming. But medical students were using the goggles to practice surgery.
tS: Wow.
TD: It really helped shift my thinking. We’re about connecting people, sometimes through digital literacy. If you want to get a job, you have to understand how to use the technology. That’s why we have a 3D printer. How does that fit with my view of a building filled with books? With our new buildings Redmond and now in Bend, it’s about connecting our communities. That’s why we have a maker’s space and a children’s discovery area.
tS: So back to the 1962 World Series…
TD: It was seven games. And the Yankees beat the Giants.
[Laughter.]
tS: When we met at the library a few months ago, you checked two books out to me and now they’re overdue.
TD: We haven’t charged fees for about 10 years, so you’re safe. Eventually, if they’re too late, you’ll probably get a bill from us for the entire book. But if you bring it back, the bill will go away.
tS: When I was an undergraduate student, I remember an English teacher got arrested because he had too many unpaid fines at the city library. People were like, whoa, that’s serious overkill. When DPL got rid of fees, was that part of a national trend?
TD: For me as a director, I was looking at our budget and at how much time our staff was spending in interactions with people about a 10-cent fine. I realized that the argument was costing the library about $10 in staff time. That lead me to question why we were doing this. I found a lot of research throughout the country about the effectiveness of fines, and what I found was counterintuitive: it showed that fines had just created a barrier to entry, especially for low-income users. Anecdotally, as a children’s librarian, there were numerous times when a high school freshman would come in to check out a book to write a report. I’d look at their record, and they had a copy of “Curious George” that came in late when they were in kindergarten and they hadn’t been able to use their card since.
tS: Oh, no.
TD: And that’s completely opposite of what we’re trying to accomplish at the library. In the decade since we got rid of fines, it’s really had no impact on our ability to keep books and it hasn’t impacted our budget. As a director, sometimes it’s good to question something that seems like it’s always been there, but to wonder why it is and do we need to change?
tS: That’s so interesting. What are some other examples of fresh thinking that make for a good library director?
TD: I can’t take full credit for this, but our staff discussed a lot of studies about listening to your staff, listening to your community. Especially if you look at our building projects, the things that seem unique and innovative came directly from customers’ desires, like our collaborative working area, our maker’s spaces, our children’s discovery area. Those were things that our community told us they’d like to see, what they need to thrive. A really big piece that’s really needed is the ability to listen and to know how to translate that into what fits with our mission. And when it doesn’t fit, we can find ways to make partnerships so we can stay focused on our mission.
tS: I have the impression that you’re very relational with everyday readers. Where does that rank in importance for the new director? Also, where does having fun as a director fit in? I’m flashing to that hilarious video you filmed where you introduce the new Redmond library using Gen Z slang.
TD: Everybody has their own styles; I like to have fun, but that’s just me. There’s plenty room for a director who’s a very serious person, as well. Those are the intangibles that you’re looking for in a new director. It goes back to really listening. How well do they connect with people? That’s a more important piece than what genre they’re reading. The joy of libraries for me is everyone’s reading is different. A new director may be 100% into historical nonfiction, or they may be into fantasy literature. It doesn’t matter. It’s about connecting people to the process, joy and discovery of reading itself.
tS: What are your retirement plans?
TD: I’d like to volunteer, contribute to our community in some other way. I’d like to travel. First, I’ll head to the Oregon Coast to sit and think about where I’ll want to go.
tS: I assume books will inform these travel decisions.
TD: Yes. I just read a novel that took place in Tokyo and it made me think I should go there. So, that’s probably my entry point. Then I’ll go grab a travel book and learn more about the place.
tS: In retirement, you’ll have plenty time to read books.
TD: I would love to say I’d read more books, but I’m also the world’s best procrastinator, so I may just feel guiltier about not reading books.
This article appears in the Source July 16, 2026.
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