The hunt for a permanent president of the Boston Public Library appears to be winding down, with officials planning to narrow the list of candidates within the next two months, John Palfrey, chairman of the library’s presidential search committee, said on Wednesday.

“We are still looking at people,’’ Palfrey said in an interview.

Palfrey said more than 100 candidates were recruited or submitted applications for the job, which oversees the central library in Copley Square, 24 branches, and 450 employees. The search committee has winnowed the number of candidates to several dozen, and officials hope to bring a short list of two to four candidates to the library’s board of trustees before summer, Palfrey said.

The search is confidential. But Palfrey said candidates include professionals who are leading public libraries and cultural institutions.

“We are talking to a wide range of candidates,’’ he said.

The library’s last president, Amy E. Ryan, resigned in July after two expensive pieces of art were temporarily misplaced at the library.

The board of trustees selected executive search firm Spencer Stuart to help find a president. Palfrey was tapped to lead the effort. Officials held a series of meetings to get community input.

Meghan E. Irons can be reached at meghan.irons@globe.com.