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New Director sits down with Bergenite
(by Corey Klein - April 30, 2008)
In December, North Arlington hired a new library director to take the reigns from former director Maria Puszkar. The library had its share of controversy in recent years. In particular, debates over how to pay for lighting improvements entered public discussion at mayor and council meetings.
The storm seems to have calmed since the borough hired Stephanie Burke and the library recently unveiled 15 public computers with 17-inch flat panel monitors, laser printing and wireless Internet access. The library staff has seen a recent restructuring as well with two new employees taking on children and young adult librarian duties in place of one children’s librarian.
Burke owes much of the success of the library to volunteers who give their time to the library and the Friend of the Library group, which donates often.
The South Bergenite had the chance to speak with Burke about the library’s present and future.
Q: Where did you work before North Arlington?
A: I was the children’s librarian in North Bergen.
I was the children’s librarian in North Bergen.
Q: How is the North Bergen Library different than the North Arlington library as far as the size of the staff, the budget, etc.?
A: Everything’s much bigger. I would say they are a large library and we’re maybe a medium. They have two floors, about double the number of staff and double the budget. I wasn’t the director there. I was the children’s librarian. So it’s much different to come here, but this is my first venture as a director. So it’s nice that I came to a small library where there is a small staff and a small budget to start out so I can get a hold on what it means to be a director. I don’t know that I could have gone to a much bigger place.
Everything’s much bigger. I would say they are a large library and we’re maybe a medium. They have two floors, about double the number of staff and double the budget. I wasn’t the director there. I was the children’s librarian. So it’s much different to come here, but this is my first venture as a director. So it’s nice that I came to a small library where there is a small staff and a small budget to start out so I can get a hold on what it means to be a director. I don’t know that I could have gone to a much bigger place.
Q: In general, what are the challenges that libraries face today?
A: There’s a debate over the Internet versus coming into the library in person. People may have the assumption that they can do the searching on their own from home, but coming into the physical building, you’ll probably get a better answer to your question, a more thorough answer and, actually, the correct answer. Sometimes if you’re doing searching at home you’re not really sure if they’re coming from sites that are of value. We can give you that or even show you how to do the correct searching online through the databases that we pay for and offer. That’s a challenge. Getting people to come in and realize that we’re still here to help. We’re still doing the same thing we were doing back when. We’re helping people get the information they need.
There’s a debate over the Internet versus coming into the library in person. People may have the assumption that they can do the searching on their own from home, but coming into the physical building, you’ll probably get a better answer to your question, a more thorough answer and, actually, the correct answer. Sometimes if you’re doing searching at home you’re not really sure if they’re coming from sites that are of value. We can give you that or even show you how to do the correct searching online through the databases that we pay for and offer. That’s a challenge. Getting people to come in and realize that we’re still here to help. We’re still doing the same thing we were doing back when. We’re helping people get the information they need.
There’s a challenge, too, in the area of young adults. Bringing them into the library because we kind of lose them after they go on to middle school. We brought on a new young adult librarian. We have a children’s person and a young adult person. We replaced the children’s position with two so we could divide the responsibility. She [Kristin Nelson] has been doing a number of projects to bring in the young adults to the library. It seems to be working because we’re kind of smack dab between the two schools, so we don’t want to lose those kids. If they’re right here, they should be coming in and feel comfortable.
Q: What are some of the positives the North Arlington library has?
A: It has a real sense of community. We have a number of volunteers that treat their volunteer work as if it was their full-time job. They come on their particular day and their set number of hours. We even have a staff member that volunteers on her day off. There’s a big sense of community here. We have a very active Friends [of the Library] group. They just recently donated to the library a pass to use for the Museum of Natural History, which has been in the paper. That’s something different than you get from being in a very large library to come into a more medium size, a smaller population, here. A more close-knit community. You get a lot of regulars. It’s nice for me, because I get to meet everybody and develop a relationship with them.
Q: What are some of the challenges facing the North Arlington library?
A: Currently the library needs some renovation. It needs some updating, but the board is planning on doing that. Many of the board members are new or a year or two into it and they’re very supportive and on board with doing some upgrades. There were older computers when I first came that people didn’t really want to use. That’s been one thing I’ve been able to complete so far was put in a bunch of new computers. We had a ribbon-cutting last week. We had a really big turnout. The mayor and council, all the board, the Friends of the Library, they all showed up. It was really nice just to show them that changes are happening.
Currently the library needs some renovation. It needs some updating, but the board is planning on doing that. Many of the board members are new or a year or two into it and they’re very supportive and on board with doing some upgrades. There were older computers when I first came that people didn’t really want to use. That’s been one thing I’ve been able to complete so far was put in a bunch of new computers. We had a ribbon-cutting last week. We had a really big turnout. The mayor and council, all the board, the Friends of the Library, they all showed up. It was really nice just to show them that changes are happening.
For whatever reason, in the past, which I’m not aware of, things didn’t get done. We had some lighting issues. We had some heating issues, but that’s all in the past now. They’re going forward and they’re looking to do some significant upgrades that you would notice right away when you walk in.
Q: What are your goals as library director?
A: I like the aspect of the before and after that this library is going to have so far with the technology. I have the before and I was able to accomplish and show off the after. The renovation will be a big goal of mine because it can help me grow as a director learning all the ins and outs of that, dealing with architects and engineers and stuff like that. So a goal for me would be to get comfortable with managing larger scale projects.
I like the aspect of the before and after that this library is going to have so far with the technology. I have the before and I was able to accomplish and show off the after. The renovation will be a big goal of mine because it can help me grow as a director learning all the ins and outs of that, dealing with architects and engineers and stuff like that. So a goal for me would be to get comfortable with managing larger scale projects.
Q: What are you doing for young readers and young adult readers?
A: We’re going to have a pretty active summer reading program, because now we have the two people. Before, with the one person, she really had to spread herself thin. With two people, it’s going to accomplish quite a bit. We’ll pretty much be having programs every day for the kids in the summer to keep them busy, because we’re always busy with kids. While they’re here, we’ll get them active with reading and stuff like that.
We’re going to have a pretty active summer reading program, because now we have the two people. Before, with the one person, she really had to spread herself thin. With two people, it’s going to accomplish quite a bit. We’ll pretty much be having programs every day for the kids in the summer to keep them busy, because we’re always busy with kids. While they’re here, we’ll get them active with reading and stuff like that.
Q: Who is your favorite author?
A: I have a favorite book, it’s Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery, because the character, Anne, they always told her she’s crazy, and she couldn’t do this and that. She always wanted to do much more than she had the support to do or was older beyond her age. So I always connected with her a little because I’m a young director. I think I’m the youngest in BCCLS [The Bergen County Cooperative Library System], but I don’t know for sure. I just turned 27 in March. That’s challenging. People come with preconceived notions when they meet someone my age in this position. It seems like that book always follows me through life. It was one I read as a kid and I can see I’m even connecting with Anne now.
I have a favorite book, it’s Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery, because the character, Anne, they always told her she’s crazy, and she couldn’t do this and that. She always wanted to do much more than she had the support to do or was older beyond her age. So I always connected with her a little because I’m a young director. I think I’m the youngest in BCCLS [The Bergen County Cooperative Library System], but I don’t know for sure. I just turned 27 in March. That’s challenging. People come with preconceived notions when they meet someone my age in this position. It seems like that book always follows me through life. It was one I read as a kid and I can see I’m even connecting with Anne now.
Q: What is your favorite genre?
A: Non-fiction. Pretty much all non-fiction, history-related stuff. I just like reading about things that really happened, particularly in the history area.
Non-fiction. Pretty much all non-fiction, history-related stuff. I just like reading about things that really happened, particularly in the history area.
Q: What are you reading right now?
A: I’m in a book club with friends, so I’m reading "This is How it Happened" by Jo Barrett, totally against what I just mentioned about the non-fiction. It’s a nice thing to do on the side with friends and they pick the titles.
I’m in a book club with friends, so I’m reading "This is How it Happened" by Jo Barrett, totally against what I just mentioned about the non-fiction. It’s a nice thing to do on the side with friends and they pick the titles.
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