Director Bio

Edward Garcia was appointed the Library Director of the Cranston Public Library in March 2012. In his role Edward serves as the chief executive and administrative officer of the Cranston Public Library under the direction of the Library Board of Trustees. 

Ed began his career in librarianship as an intern at the Cranston Public Library from 2006-2008. He was then the Assistant Library Director of the Adams Public Library in Central Falls, RI from 2008-2009 before returning to Cranston as a Reference Librarian and Coordinator of Technology and Technical Services, before his appointment as Library Director.

A graduate of the University of Rhode Island where he has earned a Bachelor of Arts, a Masters in Library and Information Studies (MLIS) and a Certificate in Information and Literacy Instruction (ILIC), Ed has also received training from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Executive Education.

Ed has been well recognized for his leadership. He was named a Library Journal Mover & Shaker (2010), was part of the American Library Association Emerging Leaders program (2010) and has been awarded the LIS Excellence Award for Leadership, Innovation & Service to the Profession Award (2013), Hassenfeld Family Foundation Rhode Island Public Service Fellowship (2017), Rhode Island Library Association Library Advocacy Hero Award (2017), University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Library and Information Studies Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award (2018), and the New England Library Association Emerson Greenaway Award for distinguished service in librarianship (2021). 

Under his leadership, the Cranston Public Library has been recognized nationally for its work with the University of Rhode Island GSLIS Library of the Year award (2015), Library Journal LibraryAware Community Award (2016) and the $250,000 Jerry Kline Community Impact Prize (2020).

Ed is a Past President of the Ocean State Libraries consortium, and has also served on the Library Board of Rhode Island (2008-2018), the American Library Association Executive Board (2018-2021) and the Board of Directors of the Cranston Historical Society (2015-2019).