Why are you running?
I am running to ensure that the citizens of Westborough have a library that is a source of continuing education through books, on-line materials, and lectures series. I want to ensure that all patrons have their first amendment right to read what they choose without judgement. I want all parents to feel safe at the library to choose the books for their own children which again is the constitutional right. But this right to choose for a child does not extend to others who are not the parent. I want the library to be a haven for teens to develop their social skills and their social responsibilities i.e. volunteering to work on projects for the library. I want immigrants and townies to meet and greet without hesitation on common ground and create a shared space for conversation. I want a building that is structurally sound that will continue the legacy of the library as a beautiful, welcoming site for all who visit. Am I asking too much? I don’t think so and I will work with the staff to make things happen. You can trust me to be a TRUSTee.
What are the three biggest issues facing Westborough Public Library?
The library stands on the corner of Main Street and Parkman. It has been there for generations, and I feel that many have taken the building for granted and see it as they remember it…not how it is today. It is in desperate need of repair…but it is also in need of repair of its worthy reputation of an essential part of the town agencies. I am sure that the fire/police/town agencies buildings at one time or another needed drastic repair especially when technology’s role in running offices became the norm. These building were repaired because they were essential. I argue that the library stands on the same level as an essential structure. The library should mirror the successful renovations of the other municipal buildings. So, work needs to be done on the building but also on public attitude of the library. The library need a marketing plan.
Secondly, the library needs the space to expand its collection to include materials that provide intergenerational socialization—ex an ongoing research project between teens and seniors to work on together for the historical collection. (I created such a project, and their relationships remained even after the project was completed. The Stories shared were incredible.)
With recent book challenges, what is your stance on book bans?
Banning a book fosters ignorance. Reading is a fundamental skill, critical to future learning and to exercise democratic freedoms (We would all be enlightened if once a year we reread the constitution of the United States) I have two copies and I hope there are copies in the library. We can trust adults to make their own decisions about what they read and believe. But parents have the right to guide their children’s reading, but they do not have the right to make those decisions for another’s child. Books are tools that help folks especially teens to understand complex and often challenging issues. So, banning books from public libraries is the first steps toward government censorship and those of our freedom of expression. I don’t know if anyone remembers Kirk Vonnegut’s novel, Fahrenheit 451? It was a 1970’s novel about government banning of a book that led to the banning of more and more books and finally to book burning (reflecting on Hitler’s actions pre-WWII). The title represents the temperature the flame needs to reach to burn paper. Please, Let Freedom Read.
Where would you like to see the library in the next five years?
A five-year plan is obsolete in the 21st century. The world is changing too fast in all aspects, so a reasonable timeline is every two years. The Vision Plan must reflect current issues but must also be forward thinking to ensure the building does not fall behind in repairs, that collections or technology. Please note these are my dreams pre-election as a Trustee. Why does a library have to be in the same location? There is a wonderful space on East Main Street that has been vacate since I moved here 9 years ago. It has parking and space for specialized collections and meetings and activities for various age groups. Continue to think ahead…who thought 8 years ago a resident could borrow a book on-line and read on the computer? A crisis had to teach us to change…remember the pandemic when the library was closed? It felt like the town’s heart stopped beating. Can one image what the staff community and the trustees could dream next?
What is your opinion on the proposed repair project at Westborough Public Library?
Don’t look back and lament what wasn’t accomplished…look ahead. Everything is on the table (find one that doesn’t wo) and dream…make lists, dream again, find solutions—perhaps build a connecting bridge over Parkman Street to the Forbes and house library administrative in that building? Reconfigure the roof as a community garden? Or an Outdoor reading space? Dream, refine, plan and implement. Those are the steps to repair and improvement.
What is your relevant experience to serve as a Trustee of the Public Library?
My Education and Experience: MA,BS in English,
Certified CT middle/school English teacher (7years). .
Certified “Non-Profit Management” Professional Grant writer and Strategic Planner (Foundation Center NYNY)
Executive Director of two Hartford based nonprofits both with working with inner city projects 23 years combined.
Professor of Education UofHartford,CT , Director of Secondary Education Program,& Director of Education MainStreet. (15 year)
Established 10 inner-city mini libraries in hair salons and barber shops; one in Westborough at Windsor Ridge and one in Boston at the NE Center for Homeless Veterans. I have challenged the Board of Education on the topic of banning six books I was to teach and after our discussion they banned only one. I also worked with a parent who did not want her child to read the Lord of the Flies because it depicted the slaughter of a pig ( for food) and they were vegetarians. I reached a compromise, she read a book that I had redacted the scene from her copy. (They were not concerned about the section where the boy named, Piggy, was killed by his classmates. Ironic) Finding a solution is much more important than “winning” an argument.
Editor’s note: These are the statements as submitted by the candidate and have been unedited. Claims made by the candidates represent their own views and have not been fact checked by our editorial team.
