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Updated 16 hours ago
A love of books, a skill set of marketing, fundraising and event coordination, along with an outgoing personality, all helped Mary Kaufman land her new position as Mt. Pleasant Public Library director.
Hired late last year, she is considering ways to make the Church Street facility more user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing.
“I am very lucky to have a terrific staff and a very strong, engaged board. I see nothing but potential here,” she says.
Kaufman brings a range of experience, from positions in hospital communications and newspaper editing to working for the Norwin and Scottdale public libraries. She is pursuing her master's degree in library science, a position mandate.
The library's calendar includes story hours and book club meetings, along with groups who gather to crochet and knit, play chess or enjoy anime (a style of animation originating in Japan).
A recent Valentine's movie and lunch fundraiser, sponsored by Armstrong cable/internet provider and the Friends of the Library, attracted several dozen people on a recent weekday afternoon.
“This is something different that we are trying. We want to bring people into the library. … We are not ‘just books.' I like to think of us as a community resource and community center,” Kaufman says.
The Friends group plans an Easter Bunny paint 'n sip event on March 17 and Kaufman hopes to hold an open house in April, part of an effort to better market the library.
“The Friends are really good about helping with things. … We can always use volunteers, no question. Everybody brings gifts. One woman offered to proofread. I gave her our newsletter,” she says.
Kaufman is the third library director in recent years. One decided to move on from the position and another declined to pursue the necessary accreditation, says Diane Bailey, library board president.
“We have wonderful programs, but I am not sure everyone is aware of what our library offers. We would like to always increase our membership,” Bailey says.
Kaufman stood out among a number of “capable candidates,” she says.
“We were very impressed with her abilities and her accomplishments, and the over-the-top personality she has. We were willing to go ahead and make a recommendation to the board, with the stipulation that the library of science credits come in under a year,” she says.
“She's a really motivated person. Mary was definitely the person we felt was the best fit for our library and our community,” Bailey says.
“She's local and had done library work. She had a grant writing background, a marketing background. She was just a very sweet, well-rounded person and easy to talk to. We were just very comfortable with her from the first, ‘Hi, how are you?' ” she says.
Kaufman, 48, resides in Scottdale with her husband, Dirk Kaufman, a Tribune-Review IT professional, and their two sons. She's a Penn State master gardener and recently worked as marketing and events coordinator for West Overton Museums in East Huntingdon.
“I'm trying to visit all of the other libraries in (Westmoreland) county. I don't have to reinvent the wheel. I have a great network with all of the other directors. They all are so generous with their time,” Kaufman says.
Finding common ground with other library directors was among the advice Barbara Flynn gave Kaufman in encouraging her to pursue the position. Flynn is the children's librarian at Norwin Public Library, where Kaufman previously worked as a circulation clerk.
“I would say they are getting a dynamic personality who truly enjoys interacting with her community and trying to create new ways for the community to interact with the library,” she says.
Kaufman's success in marketing West Overton Museums should translate well in attracting new library patrons, Flynn believes. People grow curious, and want to be involved, she says, when they hear about plans for “something cool.”
“I'm excited to see what she is able to do for Mt. Pleasant,” she says.
Along with libraries, their directors continue to evolve. No longer stationary behind a desk, purveyors of stern looks and the occasional “shhh,” they must suss out patrons' needs and interests to keep their facilities relevant.
Kaufman is reconfiguring the best use of space, and encouraging visitors to suggest future programming. And as might be expected from a library director, she's a bibliophile. She counts popular fiction writers Lee Child, Janet Evanovich and David Baldacci among her favorites.
Already a member of two book clubs, she will join the library's club as well, keeping her up to date with many current best sellers.
“Libraries have always been my happy place. Like every job I've had, I give it 110 percent. I love it,” Kaufman says.
Mary Pickels is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 724-836-5401 or mpickels@tribweb.com.
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