SOUTHWICK – Four residents stepped forward to fill a vacant seat on the Library Board of Trustees.
Trustee Chris Grabowski resigned last month when his new career demands prevented him from fulfilling his duties on the board. Last week, the Board of Selectmen interviewed the four candidates in open session. Each applicant was asked the same series of questions, including their knowledge of how the board works, whether or not they use the library, and what ideas they would bring to the board.
The applicants uncluded Tammy Ciak Bissaillon, Frank T. Larson, Carolyn E. Mills and Anne Murray.
Ciak-Bissaillon said she is a frequent library user.
“I’m there just about every day,” she said. “I attend many programs.”
Ciak-Bissaillon was previously a library trustee for four years and said she would love to contribute to the board once again. She said she sees the library as “a place that needs to be open to everyone in the community” and said she would bring with her ideas to include more residents.
Larson said he believes the board has a number of roles, including ensuring that the library has adequate funding and meets the needs of patrons.
“We need to find out what people want,” said Larson.
Larson serves on the town’s agriculture committee and brings many years of non-profit experience to the table. He has a career working with credit unions and was a trainer for the American Red Cross and Westover Job Corps.
Larson said he is an avid reader who wants to bring more relevent programs and services to residents.
Mills is a frequent visitor at the Southwick Public Library who said she “heartily believes in libraries.” Mills has volunteered at the library and said she is happy with the direction it is moving.
“I love the changes and the way it’s advanced,” Mills said. “It’s grown and gotten so much better, but as the town grows, they need to offer more programs.”
Murray recently retired as the director of the Southwick Public Library and had a 20-year career at the library. She said she wanted to continue to serve the community.
“I thought this was a good opportunity to give back,” she said.
Murray has an intimate knowledge of the role of the board and said the library is going in a good direction, as far as offerings of books, programs and more.
‘We have changed from a very small library,” she said. “I see it as a community center.”
Murray said she would like to continue to help the library grow.
The Board of Trustees and Board of Selectmen will take up the measure at its Oct. 20 meeting.
