GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The town has appointed Dawn Jardine as the new director of the Great Barrington Libraries.

 

A free reception is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 20, 5-7 p.m. at Mason Library, to welcome Jardine and to showcase recent improvements to Mason's 1913 reading room.

 

The public is invited and refreshments will be served.

 

Jardine has worked in public libraries since 2012, most recently as interim library manager in Catskill, N.Y. She joined the Red Hook, N.Y., public library in 2012, first as a library assistant and then moving up the ranks to become library director, a role she held from 2016-2023. The Red Hook and Catskill libraries had operating budgets of $400,000 and $1 million, respectively.

 

Jardine's work in both libraries involved long-range planning, capital improvement planning, grant management, personnel management and other operational leadership responsibilities.

 

"I love that each of us actually 'owns' our town libraries," said Jardine, who recently moved to Great Barrington. "Libraries provide essential, sustainable access to information and resources, and they are welcoming spaces where everyone belongs."

 

She noted that working in libraries is "always rewarding, and never boring. Libraries can dream big in terms of services and programs."

 

"Dawn Jardine's extensive background in all aspects of library operations and leadership rose to the top among all of our applicants for the position, and we look forward to her future leading our town libraries,” said Town Manager Mark Pruhenski

 

Jardine is also an accomplished sewing designer and owned a dressmaking and sewing business for many years. She has served as a regional representative and columnist for the Association of Sewing Design Professionals (ASDP). Her writing has been published in Threads magazine, and she has been a paid lecturer for the ASDP and the American Sewing Guild. She is also a Certified Home Sewing Association Trained Educator. She was excited to learn that the Library of Things has a serger sewing machine and that she would enjoy holding sewing classes to help people acquire a useful skill.

 

She earned a bachelor's degree in microbiology from the University of New Hampshire, and a nursing degree from the Framingham School of Nursing.

 

The Friends of the Great Barrington Libraries led the interior design improvement project, with design guidance contributed by Great Barrington resident Bobby Houston, owner of Scout Home.

 

Built in 1913, Mason Library was designed by Blanchard & Barnes with a $50,000 gift from Mary Mason. It is notable for its vaulted main reading room, symmetrical Palladian windows and fireplaces. 

 

"New rugs, period-appropriate furniture and a general opening of the space to show off its symmetrical, grand classical design have made the space more attractive for computer use, classes and mentoring and community and library events,” reported Friends President Ed Abrahams. "Furniture that is multi-purpose and can be moved easily will help us adapt to the changing needs of library users,” he added.

 

In addition to Mr. Houston's donated time, the room is brightened with a large aglaomorpha coronans fern on loan from Pamela Reed Hardcastle.