Originally published in the California Focus February 2011

Greetings from the California Area Public Library.

Every New Year seems to bring change, and that extends to all aspects of the community. Here at the C.P.L. we have seen retirements, new faces behind the circulation desk and as always new books, magazines and services.

I am one of the many changes you will be seeing here at the library. My name is Brian Dawson, and I am the new library director. I was appointed by the board of directors and began serving the community on December 27th. I have a degree from Seton Hill University in communications and political science and am in the process of completing my Master’s degree at the University of Pittsburgh. Professionally I bring years of experience and leadership from working in public safety and operations management.

I hope to provide stability and organization to the library. My primary goal is to establish the library as a hub of the community where people can come to learn, exchange ideas, be entertained, and seek assistance. I believe a library is a vital part of any community, and I truly believe CPL can serve that purpose. In order to achieve this CPL needs to grow; increasing the membership, circulation of materials among all demographics, the collection and the services we provide to the community. Ultimately this is your library, it will be as successful as you want it to be, but it does require effort, your support, input and time.

For CPL to be successful we need to communicate. What are your needs? What books and services would you like to see being offered through the library? Your suggestions and ideas will always be welcome. I want to accommodate as many people as possible and to communicate with all of you. We have established a few tools to help us get you the information you want, and for you to provide us feedback. We have a new Facebook page, a Twitter account, e-mail and of course you can always stop in for a chat.

We are also looking for volunteers to help reestablish the Friends of the California Area Public Library Association. So much of our history at CPL originates from the hard work and determination of Friends, it would be a great asset to see this kind of support as we begin to build the future of the library. If you are interested please contact us. We are also trying to gauge community support for a book club, if you would like to participate please contact us.

In my few weeks here I have had the pleasure of getting to meet some of you and learning about the community and its rich history. All I can say is I love it! People have been very welcoming and so helpful. I wanted to thank everyone (especially the board of directors) for giving me this opportunity to serve you, the organization and the community. I cannot tell you how excited I am to be here and have many ideas to further the library and community. I am passionate about the library and assure you I have the best interest of CPL at heart and will treat it with dignity and respect.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Brian K Dawson
Library Director
California Area Public Library

Phone: 724- 938-2907
E-mail: libdirector.cpl@gmail.com
Facebook: search for us by California Area Public Library or http://www.facebook.com/pages/California-Area-Public-Library/150095455042296
Twitter: @directorcpl