Library president reflects on his role as a trustee and life-long patron
March 28, 2008
by Brian Socolow
As I start on my term as President of the Board of Trustees of the Chappaqua Library, I have had a chance to think back on the many dramatic changes we’ve made to the library over the past few years and to reflect on what remains to be done.
I wanted to run for the library board so that I could give something back to the community where I was raised and to the library that sparked my love of reading as a child. Since I was elected to the Board in 2004, my education has not stopped. From a patron’s perspective, I knew that the library circulated books and videos, offered a variety of programs and made computers available to the public, but those are areas with which the board does not have much involvement.
As a Trustee, I have spent much more time on the many other facets of the operation of the library such as maintenance of its physical plant; the behind-the-scenes workings of the library’s circulation, reference and other departments; and finance and technology. I’ve enjoyed learning about all those areas but have also tried to keep in mind the broader goals of the library’s mission to be a center of gathering and of inquiry in our community.
Library board adopts long-range plan
Over this last year, I served on the library’s long-range planning committee, which focused on what effect our digital world will have on the library, and how we might change to meet the needs of our patrons. The Board recently adopted our committee’s long-range plan, which is accessible on the Library website. http://www.chappaqualibrary.org/index.php/policies/#longrangeplan. Not surprisingly, technology will play a large role in the continued evolution of the library. In our future, for example, is the use of self-check-out stations for patrons.
Another major focus of my board service has been, by necessity, the maintenance and improvement of the library building itself. I’ve learned more about roofing systems and air balancing than I ever wanted to know, but I’ve also seen the tremendous results of our latest expansion project, a handsome, tranquil new reading and computer space far more inviting and shining than the former recessed frontage.
Goals for this year: expanding children’s area and finding parking solutions
The library’s space needs will continue to be a focus in my term as President. We’ve seen dramatic increases in the circulation of books and audiovisual materials and the number of patrons visiting the library – over 200,000 patrons in 2007. I hope to turn our attention this next year to renovating and expanding the children’s area and find parking solutions as well.
I’ve learned too that, as important as our space and collections are, the heart of our library is its hard-working staff, many of whom have worked at the library for 20 years or more. They are dedicated to serving all our patrons and have helped me understand all that goes into running a thriving library.
From the time I was a child first experiencing the joys of reading at the old library on Senter Street, the library has been a special place for me. I spent many hours studying there as a teenager and have watched my own children learn to love the library and its resources. Serving on the Board, and now as President, has been a tremendously gratifying experience for me. I’ve been grateful for the opportunity to serve this venerable cornerstone of our vibrant New Castle community.
Brian Socolow was raised in Chappaqua and is a 1982 graduate of Horace Greeley High School. He has lived in Chappaqua since 1995 with his wife, Pam, and their children, Kevin, a sixth grader at Seven Bridges Middle School, and Katie, a fourth grader at Westorchard Elementary School. He is a partner at Loeb & Loeb LLP in New York City.
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