submitted by Leanna Sweet
The Grafton Community Library invites you to a farewell reception for Cindy and Joe Pulito and Christian Collins, Library Director on Sunday, August 9, from 1 to 3 pm at the Grafton Senior Center.
[private]Cindy and Joe are relocating to Massachusetts after many years of dedicated service to the Grafton Community. Cindy and Joe were founders of the Lorien Coffeehouse; the Coffeehouse brought many talented musicians to the area for over twenty years. Cindy taught many of our children in the Berlin Central School District over her 27 years of service. Cindy has been President of the Grafton Library multiple times during her tenure as a Library Trustee, was chair of the Run for the Roses Committee for over 15 years, chair of the Lillis Bunce Scholarship committee, and has served on multiple other library committees in her over 20 years as a Trustee. Joe is a past Trustee of the Library and was instrumental in the library renovations and expansion. We will miss them both!
It is with a sad heart that our community must say farewell and best wishes to Christian Collins, who has served as Director of the Grafton Community Library for almost two years. Christian is relocating to Canada to be with family. His resignation was accepted with deep regret by the Board of Trustees at its June meeting.
When Christian stepped into the role of library director, he set a goal for himself of making the library a true community center—a meeting place where residents of Grafton and surrounding communities could come together to share ideas, experiences and, of course, books. In his application for the position Christian wrote:
“Being an effective public library director means cultivating relationships with community members from the youngest to the oldest and being ever responsive to their changing needs; it means being a tireless advocate for the library and working creatively to promote the services that the library offers; and it means working with trustees, staff and volunteers to create a warm and welcoming, information-rich environment that feels like home to everyone who walks through the door.”
In the eyes of the library trustees, Christian succeeded admirably in attaining that goal. During his relatively brief tenure as director, he has transformed the library into a vibrant venue with frequent and exciting programming, drawing in people of all ages and interests.
Christian made it a priority to reach out to other organizations in the community. He successfully established partnerships with several local groups, such as the Historical Society and the Senior Center.
Under his direction, the library has developed a new long-range plan which will continue to guide the library forward after his departure. In a short period of time, Christian has made a positive and lasting impact on the Grafton community. He will be sorely missed.[/private]