The Cortez Public Library is proud to announce that LeRoy Harris has been named its new Library Director. Mr. Harris will officially assume his duties on February 17, 2026, allowing his family time to relocate to the community.
As a past Assistant Director for the Apache County Library District in Arizona and a library Branch Manager, Harris served nine different rural and diverse communities, including two on the Navajo Nation. He has partnered with city, tribal, and school leaders to expand library services and highlight the library as a valuable resource for the public. Harris is also known for his focus on collaborative partnerships, having presented on the topic at this year’s Minnesota Library Association annual conference. He is familiar with the Four Corners region, having previously taught high school in Shiprock, and his dedication to serving diverse communities makes him well-prepared to guide the Cortez Public Library into the future.
Since March 2020, Harris has worked as the Programming & Technology Services Librarian at the New Ulm Public Library in Minnesota. In this role, he leads adult programming and represents the library through television, radio, newspaper, and online platforms. He secured a $250,000 Mellon Foundation grant to improve the library’s Memory Lab and expand services, organized more than 320 programs each year with over 3,000 participants, and launched the city’s Emergency Preparedness Fair, which grew from 15 attendees in 2020 to more than 700 in 2025. Harris also manages staff, oversees library systems such as Evergreen and Aspen, and builds partnerships with cultural and civic groups. The Cortez Public Library looks forward to his leadership, experience, and enthusiasm as he begins his new role in February.