As I retire from the Library Board, I wish to express what an honor and pleasure it has been to serve on this Board for the past eleven years. As Chair, I followed in the footsteps of some wonderful and remarkable people – Miriam Curnin, Bill Dentzer and Joan Faulkner – all of whom worked hard to maintain and improve this Library; now I am delighted to pass the baton to Lauren Gottfried.
During my tenure, I was lucky to serve alongside a very competent Board, and I want to thank all of them for their dedication, hard work and good humor. Our trustees are all volunteers and, as someone who deeply believes in the spirit of volunteerism, I am particularly grateful to them for their commitment to the Larchmont/Mamaroneck community. In addition, I enjoyed working with Library Director Diane Courtney and Interim Director June Hesler and, for the majority of my time as Chair, with Library Director Laura Eckley. It has been my real pleasure to work with the Board and Laura to accomplish a great deal through these years, including launching and completing a major renovation to update and enhance the main building, adding a Technology Commons, Teen Room and other new spaces designed to keep our Library a vibrant local institution.
I would also like to thank the many other people – staff, community members, the Friends of the Library and elected local officials – who help sustain this Library. Most significantly, our wonderful staff serves our patrons, day in and day out, in countless ways, including maintaining the collection, answering reference and other questions, and managing the building. In addition, members of the Larchmont/Mamaroneck community truly value this institution, supporting the Library with generous donations of money, time and other resources; in 2015-17, when we renovated the building, nearly 650 local individuals and families donated a total of $1.5 million. Meanwhile, the Friends of the Library have raised substantial funds on an ongoing basis to support many important Library initiatives, and have hosted numerous educational and enriching events on behalf of the Library. And finally, our local elected officials have been strong advocates of the Library and helped us secure government funding for the renovation as well as other projects.
I believe libraries play a vital role in democratic communities by encouraging curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge, protecting intellectual freedom, and providing a comfortable space that welcomes patrons of all ages. I have been tremendously proud to be part of a Board and an institution that upholds these values, and I encourage future generations to continue to protect, promote and enhance this essential resource within the Larchmont/Mamaroneck community.
Pamela Tillinghast Dubitsky
June 12, 2019