Library staff wants to connect patrons, resources

One year into her role as director of the West Milford Township Library and Community Center, Karyn Gost credits her team for continually finding new ways to connect patrons and resources.

She also praised their forward-thinking approach - now a cornerstone of the facility, which opened in June 2017.

“Libraries are community centers and a place where people can meet, grow and thrive,” she said. “Libraries are the heartbeat of a community.

“I appreciate that our township and library work together to make our space even more valuable to West Milford residents by offering both library and Department of Recreation programs all under one roof.”

The library’s collection includes books, magazines, newspapers, books on CD and cassette, DVDs and videos, paperbacks, large-print books, maps, atlases, puzzles, downloadable audiobooks, e-books and numerous online databases.

Among the growing resources are study rooms, mobile hotspots, printing from home or mobile phones, open browsing, interlibrary loan, brain-fuse tutoring, talking books and braille, basic adult literacy, language learning and preparation for U.S. citizenship.

The deep research databases provide myriad information, such as online health, job and career resources. Patrons may explore their ancestry and soon a Museum Pass program will be available, allowing patrons to borrow museum passes for free from the library.

The Children’s Room on the second floor offers thousands of books for youngsters along with DVDs, video and audio books, and digital resources. Among the more popular programs is Story Time for babies, toddlers and preschool children.

“Story Time programs are very rewarding and popular, filling up in minutes, hours or days when posted on our website,” said children’s librarian Pam Zacher, who joined the staff this past year.

Her predecessor, Theresa McArthur, is a nearly 20-year library employee who was promoted to supervising librarian.

“We have a substantial collection of materials for children as well as ongoing development programs that are educational and fun for youngsters and parents alike,” Zacher said.

More teen programs

All areas of the Library and Community Center have seen an increase in activity and participants, often at capacity.

What’s important to Gost is teen programming.

“We are slowly adding more teen programs,” she said. “It’s often trial and error in order to gauge which types of programs work for a particular audience and community.”

Very popular among patrons on-the-go is Libby, an app for borrowing e-materials via computer, tablet or smart phone.

West Milford resident Holley Cornetto is a self-professed Libby power user, especially during long work commutes.

“My family and I are major readers,” she said. “We’re at the library frequently and being able to listen to e-books while in the car and elsewhere is great. Access to e-books is essential and convenient. The library’s resources and services benefit readers of all ages.”

Cornetto also is a local author who has two horror books on the library’s shelves: “They Are Cursed Like You” and “We Haunt These Woods.”

“It’s amazing to see my books in my hometown library,” she said. “It’s too much to put into words. And for my books to have a ‘local author’ sticker on them, it’s a great sense of pride and says something about our community.”

Welcoming environment

The Library and Community Center website’s Community Calendar page lists the many programs for home-grown artists, piano concerts and other music recitals, development classes and craft room along with space and seven rooms available to local groups for meetings and gatherings.

Programs include Gentle Yoga, Adult Paint and Coloring Crew.

Children may enjoy Bubble Beats and R.U.F.F. Reading to a Dog.

Gost says the Friends of the Library is the most dedicated and committed Friends group that she has experienced in her years of working in libraries.

“Our Friends go above and beyond to support the library. They sponsor most of our piano concerts that take place in the upstairs Gallery.”

A school liaison on the library board assists with getting the word out to students regarding library offerings.

A school bus brings students to the library after school.

One featured event is the student art show for Youth Art Month in March, and Gost recently met with Lydia Furnari, the interim superintendent, about possible future collaborations.

Gost noted that patrons often say how impressed they are with the library’s offerings and programs, both in-house and online.

“We receive many compliments on our resources as well as positive feedback on the staff’s knowledge and customer service skills,” she said. “The spirit of the library is friendly, helpful and upbeat with a warm and welcoming environment.”

Resident Maryann Ackerman is an avid reader and frequent visitor to the library.

“The staff is very helpful and knowledgeable, and the book collection is wonderful,” she said. “If a book I want is in not in-house, the staff can get it for me from another library. I especially like mysteries and thrillers, and my favorite author is David Rosenfelt.”

Well-traveled Navy brat

Gost is the fourth director of the Library and Community Center in the past four years. One of her goals has been to create a sense of stability for the staff and community.

“It was important for the library to feel grounded,” she said. “The staff seemed to work as a team even though there had been so many changes in the past few years.”

With more than 15 years working in the library field, including management and supervisory experience, Gost came to West Milford in August 2022 from a six-year directorship at the Lodi Memorial Library in Bergen County.

“When I arrived for my first interview at the new building, the first thing I noticed was the sign outside that says West Milford Township Library and Community Center,” she said. “I loved that! The fact that the building is combination - Library and Recreation Department - is very unique. It’s great that people come into the building for one thing and end up getting much more out of their visit.

“Upon meeting the Library Board of Trustees, I took notice of their absolute dedication and commitment to the library and community. Luckily for me, I was offered the position of taking the helm of this wonderful library.”

Her affinity for her new remit and community was amplified when she bought a home in West Milford in December, moving from Montclair, where she had lived for almost 15 years.

“It was a big change, but I happily jumped at the opportunity,” she said. “I feel very committed to this library and town - it feels like home. For me, the biggest change was being responsible for all the library building and grounds maintenance, which I had not done before.”

Gost attended graduate school at Rutgers University, earning a master’s degree in library and information science in 2006.

Her library work includes both independent libraries and county library systems and covers the positions of children’s librarian, young adult librarian, reference librarian, staff manager and library director.

She was inspired to become a librarian by her aunt Jeanne Jones, who was a children’s librarian.

One of her first library directors, who was also a mentor, influenced Gost in many areas, including management style and her passion for programming.

Raised a Navy brat as her father was a career officer, the family moved every year or two across the country and lived two years in Italy.

Gost was in her early 20s and in college when her parents moved to southern New Jersey as her father retired from the Navy and began a civilian career.

She also spent several years living on the West Coast and in Hawaii and Paris. In 2003, she moved to New Jersey to be close to her family.

“Coming to West Milford, I was immediately struck by the warmth and friendliness of the people,” she said. “From patrons to staff members, the Library Board of Trustees, Friends of the Library, township employees, and the entire community - it felt like a good fit.”

“We want the Library and Community Center to thoughtfully represent and serve the community’s needs. As we continue to grow our resources, digital offerings, and programming, we’re in a great position to contribute in even bigger ways to West Milford.”