By Caroline Bassallo
Hoosick Falls’ Cheney Library has a new director, Sara Yetto, who participated in a friendly interview on Thursday, April 25. Sara has been working at the library since late January and is enjoying her dream job much sooner in life than she anticipated. She says all the patrons she encounters are the best part of a rewarding job and she loves to come to work in a beautiful building and working with the “…most amazing, incredible staff and volunteers.” Sara grew up on Sacandaga Lake in the Adirondacks, went to college at Southern Vermont College, and now resides in West Sand Lake. Working at Cheney in Hoosick Falls, she is enjoying a balance of a familiar, small town with the refreshment and fun of meeting new people.
Another familiarity she is thankful for are the mountains. Sara has an amazing variety of hobbies and interests. She says she likes “introverted hobbies” such as poetry, sewing, and reading but also is the biggest NY Giants fan. Back when she lived with her family, her mother and brother would leave the house during a Giants game because Sara was so enthusiastic and loud.
There are a lot of plans in store for the Cheney Library, and the biggest idea in the works is the “Library of Things.” This is an increasingly popular idea in which a library extends its free services to more than just lending books. In the same way a library would lend out books (scan a barcode and lend for a time), other household necessities like shovels, kitchen appliances, etc. could also be lent. The library is also going to start showing movies in the newly renovated room downstairs and will be revamping and updating the online services. Sara stressed her interest in hearing more feedback from the patrons of Cheney. How has Cheney benefitted you? How have you enjoyed the library? What can they do to improve services?
Comments, questions, and requests are what Sara would like to hear from you because she is working hard to extend the services of the library. She believes that libraries are one of the few places people can safely be creative, access resources, study and explore interests completely free of cost. Her goal is to enhance the caring, welcoming, relaxing, learning, and serving culture in Cheney Library. “It’s kind of cheesy to say, but I think libraries are the best place in the world and everyone should know that.”