Blane Dessy has been hired as the new director of the Erie County Public Library, County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper announced Wednesday.

He will start April 15.

The Pittsburgh-native has 17 years of experience at the Library of Congress. He most recently served as the director of national enterprises.

Dessy was also the director of library staff at the U.S. Department of Justice and founding director of the National Library of Education at the U.S. Department of Education.

He also has experience from leadership roles at libraries at the state level in Alabama, Ohio and Oklahoma. Dessy served as the director of the library systems in both Juniata County and Mifflin County in Pennsylvania.

"The library has experienced transformative change over the past few years, and I am confident that under Blane’s leadership, we will not just continue that forward momentum but actually further advance and enhance the library’s role as an invaluable asset in Erie County,” said Dahlkemper in a statement.

Dessy earned his bachelor’s degree in English from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and his master’s degree in library science from the University of Pittsburgh.

He takes over for Erin Wincek, who left as director of the Erie County Public Library in early March.