 | Colleen VanHoven, President I joined the Library Board several years ago - not with any skill set that had anything to do with libraries or a love of reading. I wanted to do volunteer work in Essex and help make the library the important community center I knew it could be. My experience as a school administrator stood me in good stead. |
 | Maureen Ecclesine, Vice President In my “other” life I was a social worker after college. I left to have and raise 4 children. We bought our house up here in ‘89 and moved here full time in ‘99 after my husband had a stroke and retired. Buying this place in Essex was one of the best things we ever did!! |
 | Maureen DeLaughter, Treasurer I view libraries as societal equalizers- making access to materials and information available for free to all. Librarianship was my chosen career for nearly 30 years and I am honored to volunteer my time to help keep the Belden Noble Memorial Library running smoothly. |
 | Kathy Nadire, Secretary My background is in medical research and in development. I very much enjoy working with our Board as we continue to steer the library so that it best serves the community. |
 | Sally Minich Prosk, Corresponding Secretary When I first entered this library four years ago I felt that Essex would make a wonderful Home Town. Now retired, I enjoy bringing some of the threads of my career- educating young children, theater, and visual art - to the library fabric. |
 | Meredith Hanna, Board Member Having grown up in Upper Michigan in a small rural village we did not have a library close by but we did have an old greyhound bus that would come out to the rural areas of the county. They had a contest to name the bus and I won naming the bus Moby after Moby Dick. The bus was outfitted with shelves that were filled with books which would change each month. I thought it was a wonderful place! As I got older I was always fascinated with libraries. They were often housed in beautiful old historic buildings and the ones that were built by Carnegie Mellon were mansions. As I travel I will often look for the library in the area and it will be my first stop. Librarians are friendly and very knowledgable about the area. One of the reasons I was interested in serving on the Library Board is that I believe in lifelong education and how libraries can transform lives. Libraries have information available to everyone and I feel strongly that we need to protect the freedom to read and not have materials censored. |
 | Jani Spurgeon, Board Member When I moved to Essex in 1985 I was honored to be asked to serve on the library board. A few years later, the time constraints of two children and a job in Plattsburgh resulted in my resignation. Now, happily retired, I am pleased to be back on the board of our wonderful little library. |
 | Joyce Sukel, Board Member |
The Library Board is the governing body of the library. The Library Board is responsible for hiring library staff, managing library funds, creating library policies, and advocating for the library. Each year, the Belden Noble Library Board holds several fund-raisers, which include bake sales and a popular Holiday Silent Auction.
If you are a strong supporter of libraries and think you may be interested in joining the library Board, please contact the library at (518) 963-8079.