Brian Bannon

Since 2012, Brian Bannon has served as the Commissioner of the Chicago Public Library (CPL), serving as the chief executive officer of an 80 branch library district for the 2.6 million residents of Chicago. CPL is the largest and most visited cultural institution in Chicago and among the largest public library systems in the United States. More than 11 million customers visit CPL libraries each year and library’s website receives 13 million visits annually. As the largest provider of free public technology access, CPL is central to the City's workforce and broadband adoption strategies. CPL has received national and international acknowledgement for its leadership role in engaging youth in technology and STEM learning and recently won the coveted Chicago Innovation Award for its Maker Lab. Brian was recently named to the Crain’s Tech50 list because of his leadership of Chicago Public Library's successful technology initiatives. Prior to joining CPL, Brian was a senior executive at the San Francisco Public Library and served in leadership roles at the Seattle Public Library and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Brian is very active in work related to information access, public technology, and bridging the digital divide. He holds his MILS from the University of Washington iSchool and BA from Pacific Lutheran University.