At its monthly meeting on July 2, the Plainsboro Library Board of Trustees promoted the library’s long-time assistant director, Carol Quick, to the position of director. Quick has been serving as the acting director since April 26, when Eileen Burnash resigned.
Said Board President Deborah Brett: “Carol has served for 13 years as assistant director and will do an outstanding job as director. She is totally familiar with all aspects of the Plainsboro Library, including the programs, circulation, and management of the building, and she has the full confidence of the Board and the Library staff.” Brett noted that they are not planning on hiring anyone to fill the assistant director position at this time.
Said Quick: “I am very excited to be working with the wonderful and talented library staff as the director. They all really helped me though the transition period when I was acting director, and took on additional responsibilities to help me out. Many of the staff haven’t been utilized to their fullest potential, and they are all extremely capable.”
Quick had not sought the position of director previously. “I was very happy as the assistant director. When our long-time director Jinny Baeckler resigned, I assumed that I would remain as the assistant director until I retired, and would help the new director get acclimated. When Burnash left, I was asked to be the acting director. It was then that I realized that I was actually very excited about the new role, and did feel I would do a good job, so I applied for it. I am planning on remaining the director until I retire, sometime in the future. I have no definite plans to retire right now.” Quick indicated that she did not know why Burnash resigned.
Last year Quick had written a grant proposal to the American Library Association, to teach ESL classes. “I did get the grant, so I will be teaching ESL courses in the fall as well. It will be a challenge to do both, especially since we are not filling the assistant director position, but I am not worried, because of all of the help that the other staff members have been providing.”
Regarding the possibility of new programs, Quick said, “I will be holding my first official staff meeting on August 9, and will be soliciting input from the staff. I want to reach out to them and see what ideas they have before making any changes. We do have the annual cardboard canoe race coming up this weekend, which will be held on Saturday, July 27, at Plainsboro Pond, starting at 9 a.m. Anyone interested should definitely come to this fun event.”
Board members also approved a new policy regarding unattended children at the library. The highlights of the policy are as follows:
Parents/Caregivers of toddlers and preschoolers should remain with their child at all times. Children ages 5-7 must have a parent or adult caregiver on the same floor with them at all times.
Children between the ages of 8-10 years must be accompanied by a parent or caregiver who is at least 16 years of age. Children ages 11-12 are welcome to use the library unattended, but should not be left alone for more than two hours
Children of any age with mental, physical or emotional disabilities which affect decision-making skills or render supervision necessary must be accompanied by a parent or caregiver at all times.
If children of any age attend a program, caregivers should be ready to meet the child promptly when the program ends.
Parents of all unattended children and teens will be notified if there is a problem, and should be available to pick up their child at any time.
Children must be picked up no later than five minutes before closing time.
