Since beginning my campaign for Library Trustee the question that I have most frequently been asked is “Why do you want to be a Library Trustee?” I initially decided to run for a position on the Board out of a desire to help the Library reflect the growing diversity of our town. But over the course of this campaign, I have learned a simple truth: Once you start listening to residents talk about the Brookline Public Library, you find more and more reasons to be involved.

Over the past month, I have spoken with hundreds of Library patrons and those conversations will guide me as a Trustee. I’ve spoken with a literacy volunteer, who struggles to identify books that capture the interest of urban youth, while meeting the reading level challenges they may face. I’ve spoken with a man in the midst of a job search, who uses the Library to research best practices for interviewing. I’ve spoken with a sculptor, who visits the Library for inspiration and who understands that the Library is a place to showcase community art, culture and talent. I’ve spoken with a number of seniors, for whom the Library is a both an educational facility and a community center where they can engage with their friends and neighbors. I’ve spoken with an individual who depends on the Library to find books,magazines and newspapers in his native tongue. And yes, I’ve spoken to a lot of young adults (and adult-adults) about The Hunger Games.

As I ponder these interactions, it is obvious to me that my original intent – working to ensure that the Library reflects the diversity of the town – is both right on the mark and woefully understated. The role that the Library plays in the lives of its constituents is as vibrant and multi-faceted as Brookline itself. As a Trustee, I will work to make the Library more accessible to the community by supporting Summer Sundays at the Coolidge Corner branch. I will endeavor to balance the benefits and challenges of new technologies. Finally, I will strive to understand how the Library can best serve the needs of our volunteers, our artists, our seniors, our children – all of our constituents – in ways that truly reverberate with the diverse population of our town.

Sincerely, Kristen Uekermann
Candidate for Brookline Library Trustee, two-year term

Town Elections are Tuesday, May 1. Kristen Uekermann and Puja Mehta (see her letter to the editor here) are both running for the seat. 

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