Seymour Library hires new director

Cassandra Guthrie, library director at the Seymour Public Library, in her office. "There are many good things in place," Guthrie said, "and I hope to bring everything together in a positive way." Photograph by D.M. Flynn.

Seymour Library
hires new director

The Seymour Library Board has hired a new director. Cassandra Guthrie began her appointment as library director on Wednesday, May 16. "Brockport is very appealing to me," Guthrie said. "I think it is going to be a nice match for all of us." She succeeds Pat Trek who served as interim director since November 2005.

Guthrie, who prefers Cassie to Cassandra, brings expansive experience to Brockport. She was born in Holyoke, Massachusetts, but her family moved often. After graduating from high school in Fredonia, New York, she returned to her home state to attend Mount Holyoke College, where she earned a B.A. in history and philosophy. Her first employment involved internal communications for a business in Buffalo. "After a while, I decided it was time to go back to school," Guthrie said. She attended SUNY Buffalo in the evenings - while continuing to work full time - and earned a Master's degree in library science. "I thought I would work in a corporate library because I had the business background." However, a class in public libraries changed her plans. "I fell in love with public libraries," she said.

Guthrie moved to Westchester County. She worked full time as adult services librarian for the Port Chester Public Library by day and worked part time at the White Plains Public Library in the evenings. About a year later, she accepted a full time position at White Plains. During her nine-year tenure, she worked on a variety of projects including educational, informational, and entertainment programs. "The most interesting and satisfying part of my job was outreach," Guthrie said. "I like to get out of the building and into the community. It is important to meet people and find out what the library can do for them."

She is excited by the diversity in Brockport and is eager to connect with such groups as the home school population and the migrant farm workers. In White Plains, she developed a program called Tardes Cultural, (Cultural Afternoon) for the Hispanic population and she speaks some Spanish.

Guthrie sees many positive features in place at the Seymour Library. "The first strength is the staff here," she said. "They have such a sense of dedication. They care about this place so much. You can't teach somebody to be dedicated." She is also impressed with the library board members and the Friends of the Seymour Library. "And the building is a wonderful facility."

Nevertheless, Guthrie admits to some hurdles. "My biggest challenge is not being from the area," she explained. "I am learning how the Monroe County System works because it is different from White Plains," she said. "Being brand new to the area, it's a little overwhelming trying to keep everything straight."

In accord with her enthusiasm for outreach, Guthrie plans to launch a website specifically for Seymour Library. "We have a page on the Monroe County System site but no website of our own," she explained. "I want to develop a website so the community can easily find out what we offer here."

Guthrie notes that she and her husband, Andy, feel Brockport is the ideal place to raise their sons Danny and Christopher. "Everyone has been so friendly and so welcoming," she said. "It's nice to have that sense of community here. And to be the director of the library in such a place is so exciting."