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A native Edmontonian, Linda C. Cook is a graduate of the University of Alberta, having completed a Bachelor of Arts (English) in 1974, a Bachelor of Library Science in 1975 and a Master of Library Science in 1987.

Prior to being appointed the Chief Executive Officer of the Edmonton Public Library System, Linda served as Director of the Yellowhead Regional Library System, reporting to a 20 member Board of Directors. She was responsible for directing the overall operation, which included 155 public and school libraries serving a population of 165,000.

In her current capacity as CEO of Edmonton Public Library, she is responsible for one of the busiest systems in Canada, with 19 branches, a staff complement in excess of 600 people, and a budget of $52 million. In addition, Linda has lectured since 1992 as an Adjunct Professor for the Faculty of Education, School of Library and Information Studies where she taught the senior management course. She was recently appointed as an Adjunct Associate Professor.

She served as Vice President of the Greater Edmonton Library Association, President of the Library Association of Alberta, Vice-Chair of the Council of Administrators of Large Urban Public Libraries, and President of the Canadian Library Association. She is a member of The Alberta Library Board, the Board of Legal Aid Alberta, and the Edmonton North Primary Care Network Board. She sits on the Executive of Canada Council’s Public Lending Right Commission and was Past Chair of Edmonton’s Downtown Business Association.

She has been the recipient of a number of awards for excellence in service to the library community, including the University of Alberta’s Library and Information Studies Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumni Award, both the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, given for outstanding service to the community, the Canadian Library Association’s Outstanding Public Library Service Award, the Library Association of Alberta’s President’s Award, the Canadian Library Association’s highest honor, the Outstanding Librarianship Award, and The Alberta Library’s Pat Jobb Service Award.