THE MONTVALE FREE PUBLIC
LIBRARY 

I can not begin to tell you how excited I am to become the director of a library that is so near and dear to my heart.  For those of you who do not visit the children's department regularly- let me introduce myself! 

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My name is Giulia Bombace and I have been the Head of Youth Services since

August 2006.  Shortly after graduating from Seton Hall with a degree in English,

former Director, Susan Ruttenbur, and our Library Board gave me the opportunity 

to create an amazing Children's Department.  A place were parents, children and teens have felt welcomed and encouraged to explore, be creative,

and most importantly be themselves.   

I was inspired by my staff and patrons to do everything I could to become the best

Youth Services Coordinator I could for this awesome community.   

I decided to attend the University at Buffalo to earn my Masters in Library and

Information Science and finally become an official librarian! 

This was a great moment for me having started working in a public library for the first time at the age of only 13 in the Cliffside Park Public Library where I grew up.   

I knew that my dream was to one day become the director of a library where the staff felt like family, the patrons were like friends, and the children never visited without

stopping in to say hi to Ms. Giulia. 

The Children's Department was my home for so many years which makes this transition bitter sweet.  I could not be more pleased to let you all know that I am leaving this department in the capable and creative hands of our beloved Ms. Liz. 

I have absolutely no doubt that she will continue to provide our library with programs that live up to the standards we value.  Her reader advisory is second to none.  I could not tell you how many reluctant readers she has pointed in the right path to help them enjoy reading and gain confidence as a young readers.  

 

So what will a youth services librarian do as a director? 

The questions should really be 'What will I not do?"  I've had almost 15 years

to think of all the ways our library can grow and provide even more to our patrons.  Libraries are so much more than the books or what is on our shelves.  

It's the conversations, the services, the programs, the volunteers, and the friends that are made here.  It's the high school student who use to attend story hour as a

child stopping in to tell the children's department staff what college they were

accepted into.  It's the patron who studied for months in one of our study room and finally passed the bar.  It's the adult who never took a drawing class and is

now displaying artwork in our display case alongside a dozen other proud students. 

It's the staff member who decided they love working in libraries so much that they

decide to go back to school to earn their Masters in Library and Information Science 

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Thank you to those of you who have supported me over the years and who have seen me literally grow up before your eyes.  This is my community, this staff is my family and friends.  Here's to many years of creating the library you deserve.

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Sincerely,

Giulia Bombace