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Health & Fitness

The Library Calls, Are You Willing to Pick Up the Phone?

I am fourth on the ballot, but I hope you agree I am first for our Dedham Libraries. Come vote on April 13th in Dedham's Town Election,

 

This Saturday is our town's local election.  As you (hopefully) know, polls will be open from 7 am to 8 pm, and polling locations can be found at http://www.dedham-ma.gov/index.cfm?pid=12816.

This year there are two contested races:  one is for Parks and Recreation with two candidates vying for one spot, and the other is for Library Trustee with four candidates in the running for two spots.  I am one of those candidates.

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I think the fact that Library Trustee is a contested race says a lot about our town of Dedham.  When I moved to Dedham 7 years ago, one of my first stops was the Endicott Library. As an avid reader and fan of local libraries, I was touched by the welcome and open way I was greeted.  As I have become more involved with the library and my family and I have grown to know the Main Library, both the facility and the staff, I have truly come to treasure the gift that our public libraries provide me (and all of us).  Our libraries are a space to learn, to grow, to explore, and to find ways to connect with history, media, technology, stories, and to further our understanding of our own unique and shared culture.

Our libraries are a precious gift, and deserve to be treasured.  But they also need to be used (and to be useful). In Dedham, we are at a crossroads;  our new Library Director, Dr. Mary Ann Tricarico, has done a wonderful job, with the help of a number of citizens, librarians, and trustees, drafting a Strategic Plan which envisions the future of our town libraries as the “heart” of our community.  This plan, which you can read online, speaks to four areas of strategic need - Resources and Services, Staffing, Operations, and Facilities. It is an ambitious plan, but a needed one; a plan that will guide us as we improve the quality of library services for all of the citizens of Dedham.

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This plan needs effective and qualified leadership from the Trustees to ensure its success. And I am well-qualified to help lead this effort. As a former Director and Dean of Financial Aid, I managed large, complex operations with annual expenditure budgets of over $70M.  In my current role as Executive Director at Temple Beth Shalom, I oversee the financial, operations, strategic planning, HR, fundraising, physical plant, security and governance for a 730-household congregation.  I know how to assist in leading large organizations, and I can bring that skill to the position of Library Trustee.

In order to successfully realize the future of our libraries, we also need creativity and entrepreneurship.  I demonstrate both of these skills in my involvement with the Dedham Library Innovation Team. As a member of the inaugural “Murder at the Main” in 2011, a fundraising event for DLIT, as well as my contributions to this year’s “Dedham Reads Together” 60s Blast Soiree, I have brought new ideas, and needed funds to the organization.  This year I was responsible for securing the largest-ever corporate donor to DLIT.  I have also served as a Board Member for Boston City Singers, been involved with Dedham's Parish Players, and served as a spokesman for Riverside Theater Works in Hyde Park.  I have the creativity and entrepreneurship our Libraries need, and I can bring these skills to the position of Library Trustee.

To help realize this vision for what our Libraries can be, we need your help.  There are four candidates running for two positions as Library Trustee, and on April 13th you can vote for two of us. 

I am fourth on the ballot but hope you will agree that I am first for our Dedham Libraries!

For more information, feel free to visit my campaign's Facebook page at http://www.tinyurl.com/barkowitz or email me at dbarkowitz@gmail.com.

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