The chair of the New Brunswick Public Libraries Board says he wants to meet with the new executive director of the provincial library service immediately.

René Ephestion says he has requested a face-to-face meeting with Kevin Cormier to discuss his "vision" for the province's 64 public libraries.

"I need to know his intentions."

Ephestion said only learned of Cormier's appointment last week through a CBC report and is worried about his apparent lack of library training or experience.

The former Liberal leadership candidate said he fears Cormier was brought in to "cut more."

The Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, which libraries fall under, has declined an interview and did not respond to Ephestion's concerns about future cuts.

But acting deputy minister Dan Mills did email a statement Tuesday evening about the controversial appointment, saying Cormier has worked in "various progressively responsible roles in the New Brunswick public service for over 15 years."

"There was no patronage involved in this appointment as it is a non-partisan role and filled through a civil service hiring program," said Mills. "Furthermore, the minister has had no involvement in this process."

Cormier has not responded to requests for an interview about his new job, which pays up to $114,000 annually.

Kevin Cormier's appointment last week as executive director of the New Brunswick Public Library Service has come under fire, given his apparent lack of library training or experience. (Kevin Cormier/Facebook)

The New Brunswick Public Libraries Board's mandate is to advise the minister on policy, service levels and provincial standards for public libraries and library services.

Ephestion, who has served on the board for three years and has only one month left as chair, said he knows how important the libraries are to the communities they serve and how passionate the employees are about the services they provide.

For immigrants looking to connect with their community, for example, libraries are often the first place they'll go, said Ephestion, who is from France.

"You meet people, your kids can read, you can take [out] books about your community, about your new country. And there are a lot of activities that you can do in the public library to build your network," he said.

Libraries [provide] a common good for the communities and we need [an executive director] who knows this value. - René Ephestion, New Brunswick Public Libraries Board chair

"This is the place where I received my first ticket for Kings Landing, for Village [Historique] Acadien and where I can know more about the province [where] I choose to live."

Many of the homeless people who used the temporary emergency shelter in Moncton where he used to work also frequented the local library to read or use the computers, he said.

"Libraries [provide] a common good for the communities and we need [an executive director] who knows this value."

Board powers unclear

Ephestion said he has not yet received a response to his meeting request from Cormier, but after they meet he will brief the other board members and they will decide on next steps.

He could not immediately say what, if any, action the board could take if it's not satisfied with the appointment.

He was unaware of the board ever facing such a situation before.

The Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour did not respond to a request for information.

The job posting for the New Brunswick Public Libraries Service executive director position listed "essential qualifications" as a master's degree in library and/or information studies from an American Library Association-accredited program.

Cormier's LinkedIn profile lists his education as a single year at York University's Schulich School of Business in Toronto (2005) and two years at the Moncton Flight College (1998-2000).

The competition for the library position also called for a minimum of eight years of "progressively responsible related work experience," including at least three years of management experience in a "complex operational environment involving responsibility for human and financial resources."

A combination of education, training and experience may be considered, it said.

Cormier spent the past year as a strategic adviser in the Executive Council Office. He was previously the chief executive officer of Kings Landing Corporation.

The New Brunswick Public Libraries Board is composed of 10-14 members appointed by the minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, according to the government's website.

Five members are elected by the regional forums, while up to nine may be appointed by the minister to represent the general public.