Justin is the Facilities & Capital Projects Manager at Baltimore County Public Library. He oversees Operations, Delivery Routes, Procurement and manages large-scale library renovations. He is a liaison with Baltimore County Property Management, working with popular library architects such as Quinn Evans and Grimm + Parker, to bring 21st century libraries to the communities of Baltimore County. This includes upcoming full-scale renovations and new builds at the Woodlawn, Randallstown and Essex locations.
Prior to working on the Operations side of library work, he managed Baltimore County’s busiest branch, the Cockeysville Library, as well as the Rosedale Library which offers the very popular Storyville. He also managed other non-traditional library services, such as Passport services at the White Marsh Library.
Justin earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration: Marketing from Towson University and a M.S.L.S. Information and Library Science degree from Clarion University.
Justin Hartzell
Justin took Future Library Design: Enduring Principles, Contemporary Processes, & Emerging Possibilities with us in August 2025, and we asked him a few questions about the experience afterward.
There are a number of other professional development opportunities for library professionals — how did this compare to others you have attended?
I really enjoyed the Future Library Design program. It is much different than previous library-related professional development opportunities I have attended.
The charette activity gave a real-life example of looking at spaces through the lens of working as a group to make improvements during a potential renovation.
I enjoyed the ability to network with other library leaders and architects in the field, and the program encouraged engagement and discussion throughout.
This year’s session featured an emphasis on capital projects. As a Capital Projects Manager, what were some of the takeaways for your next project?
I brought back several ideas from the program, such as the marketing tools used by Columbus Metropolitan Library and the Golden Ticket idea used by Calgary Public Library. Baltimore County Public Library is embarking on several large renovations and both of these examples were great ideas that we intend to take advantage of as we complete these projects.
Why did you choose to sign up for this program, and how was your experience?
I chose to sign up for the program because the Capital Projects Manager position is new to Baltimore County Public Library. I had managed multiple branches for years, but I wanted a better understanding of future library design. Additionally, I had worked with Shannon Wray of Quinn Evans and Jeff Hoover of Tappe Architects on the future Essex Branch design and wanted to continue to expand my knowledge.