From The South Orange Public Library:
The South Orange Library Board of Trustees is delighted to announce that Jill Faherty, who has worked with libraries for over 20 years and also has vast experience working in public libraries, will be our next director.
Ms. Faherty has helped libraries throughout the United States build collections that cater to a variety of communities, from urban to suburban settings.
She will lead the South Orange library at a critical juncture in its distinguished history as it embarks on an ambitious project to renovate its two buildings — the historic 1895 building and the 1968 addition — and build a connector between the two.
The goal is to vastly expand the library’s space and create a modern complex that will well serve the community’s diverse and evolving needs and ensure that the library remains an anchor for South Orange for generations to come.
“I am thrilled to have been selected as the new director of South Orange Public Library (SOPL). I am really impressed with the SOPL staff and Board in their decision to remain open and continue to serve their patrons for the past year of the pandemic. I look forward to working with a staff that is so dedicated, innovative, and supportive of their community. And as the state and township emerge and recover from the pandemic, it’s a great time for the entire community to rediscover their library and all that it has to offer, and I am looking forward to being a big part of that,” Ms. Faherty said.
Sheena Collum, the South Orange Village President, welcomed Ms. Faherty’s selection. “We continue to work towards building a 21st century library,’’ she said. “I am so pleased that Jill will be spearheading our efforts.”
Over a long tenure at Baker and Taylor, a major distributor of books, digital content and technology solutions to libraries, Ms. Faherty has worked with a range of libraries to innovate and develop new ways to serve their communities.
She has collaborated with libraries to build inclusive and diverse collections and to create programming targeting a range of populations from children to teens to the elderly.
Understanding how libraries are a crucial resources for communities, Ms. Faherty developed programs to provide remote access to patrons during the pandemic.
She has also worked as a senior librarian for the New York Public Library system and at the Montclair library so understands the day-to-day operations that make libraries essential and welcoming.
Her understanding of what makes for a thriving library, from finances to technology to working collaboratively with all stakeholders, make her an ideal fit for our library.
“On behalf of the Village Board of Trustees, I am just thrilled to welcome Jill as our new Library Director. I know she will continue to build on SOPL’s strengths.’’ said Karen Hilton, a South Orange Village Trustee and the trustees’ liaison to the Library board.
Ms. Faherty’s first day will be July 26.
