Alongside the New Year came a new face leading a village’s beloved library.
Altamont Free Library Board of Trustees selected Joseph Burke to be the library’s new director last month from a pool of 19 candidates. Trustee Tracy Russell, who chaired the search committee, said the candidates were very qualified and making the final decision was difficult. After narrowing down the candidates to four, each was interviewed.
“The welcome that I have gotten from Altamont has been incredibly warm and I am just over the moon delighted to be here,” said Burke.
Burke’s enthusiasm, positive outlook and passion for the community are part of what nabbed him the job, according to Russell.
“It seemed like every time we asked him a question he knew exactly what we wanted,” said Russell. “Sometimes you just connect with someone and in conversation he was very casual and comfortable.”
Burke officially stepped into his new role on New Year’s Day, with his contract initially for one-year. Trustees will then review and reevaluate, with a likely approval for a longer term.
Burke described Altamont’s library as “one of the showpiece libraries” in the Capital District.
“There aren’t many libraries that are so embraced with the community like the Altamont Free Library is,” said Burke. “It is such a cool building, it is such a cool community, and it really is a dream job.”
Community support helped move the library from the basement of a bank into a former train station, which was renovated for the use, at the center of the village. Burke said, “There are community member fingerprints all over the place … nearly everything was done by community members and volunteers.”
Burke fills the vacancy created after Judith Wines resigned to become director of the RCS Community Library in October. Wines had been Altamont’s director for about nine and a half years.
Altamont Free Library Board President Sally Dague was delighted to have Burke leading the library.
“During our interview process, we were impressed with Joe’s enthusiasm, his deep understanding of all that a library can offer its patrons, and his desire to help expand and grow our programming and services,” Dague said in a prepared statement.
Burke said his first goal isn’t to institute any great changes to programming and its collection, but rather get to know the community and what it wants and expects from the library.
“The great thing about this library is the community mindedness of it and how all of its programming and collection are so well orientated to the community. My job now is getting to know the community better,” said Burke. “I am sort of on a listening tour right now getting to know people.”
After acquainting himself with library patrons, Burke said some new programming could be done.
He will get a chance to many residents during the library’s annual fundraiser, “I Love My Library Gala,” which will be held Saturday, Feb. 7, at Altamont Village Hall. The event is the largest fundraiser for the library annually.
Burke left his position of reference and information literacy associate with the University at Albany Libraries to come to Altamont.
