Gates Public Library hosts Rochester museum director

Rochester Museum & Science Center President Kate Bennett is the guest speaker at the 17th annual meeting of the Friends of Gates Public Library on Wednesday, May 12 at 7:30 p.m. Bennett will discuss "Hands On Future for the RMSC." The program is open to the public and will be held in the Gates Town Hall Annex Meeting Room in the Gates Community Center at 1605 Buffalo Road. Refreshments will be served after the talk and a brief business meeting of the Friends precedes the talk.

In August 1996, Bennett became the first female president of the Rochester Museum & Science Center, which was established in 1912. Bennett, a native of Rochester, first worked for the RMSC in the 1970s before joining the American Museum of Natural History as an Anthropology Instructor and later as Membership and Development Manager. She then served as executive director of the Staten Island Children's Museum for 12 years. Bennett's career came full circle when she returned to Rochester to lead the RMSC into the 21st century. She is a board member of the American Association of Museums, National Women's Hall of Fame, the United Way, the Greater Rochester Visitors Association, the Rochester Museum & Science Center and is a member of Rochester Rotary.

Founded in 1985, the Friends of Gates Public Library are a volunteer group of more than 300 library supporters who help with library book sales, shut in services and Junior Friends among many other library activities. For information about this program, call Gates Public Library at 247-6446.