Kristen Sorth became St. Louis County Library's first female Director and CEO on November 19, 2013. Ms. Sorth has a Master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a Master's degree in Library and Information Sciences from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. She has worked for the library since 1998. Before her appointment as Director, Ms. Sorth served as Assistant Director of Administration.   

As Library Director, Kristen Sorth has focused on building community partnerships to provide innovative programming and increased community involvement. This effort has resulted in several successful and award-winning partnerships with local organizations including Operation Food Search, St. Louis Area Diaper Bank and Eye Thrive. Sorth also guides the library's building and expansion program, Your Library Renewed. This building plan is an undertaking unheard of in the 70-year history of the library, tackling the renovation or replacement of the library’s 20 facilities. 

The Library District has received many accolades under Sorth's leadership. In 2022 the Library received the nation's highest honor given to museums and libraries, the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. The Missouri Library Association named SLCL the 2022 and 2014 Missouri Library of the Year. The Urban Libraries Council has presented several innovation awards to the Library District: in 2015 for the summer lunch program, 2017 for the after-hours computer lab at the Natural Bridge Branch and 2020 for COVID-relief services. SLCL has been named a Top Place to Work by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for 8 consecutive years.