Uniontown Public Library welcomes new librarian
Uniontown Public Library is welcoming its new library director Lynne Tharan. She began her job at the library on Jefferson Street on June 2.
“The first month is a learning experience, and I’ll be looking ahead to what needs to be done,’ said Tharan, who comes to Uniontown from New Bethlehem Area Free Public Library in Clarion County.
Tharan replaces Christy Fusco, who resigned last summer after 15 years with the Uniontown library to accept a new job as director of Monroeville Public Library. Sandy Michotte served as acting administrator while a new director was sought.
That ended when library officials discovered Tharan.
Originally from the Boston, Mass., area, Tharan moved to western Pennsylvania while she was in high school when her father accepted a transfer to Pittsburgh. She graduated from Penn Hills High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Clarion University of Pennsylvania.
Tharan worked as a substitute teacher after marrying and having three children with her first husband. They are Amy Singer, an interior design specialist with IKEA in Sacramento, Calif.; Joni Singer, who works in sales and transportation for a British-owned company near Philadelphia and Chad Singer, who served with the military in Kosovo and is now medically retired from the service and working as a fleet manager for a trucking company in Joplin, Mo., Twelve years ago, Tharan married Mike Tharan, who has three children and three grandchildren. Mike Tharan is retired from construction and home remodeling but continues to do volunteer work.
Explaining how she became involved with libraries, Tharan said, “I was on the board of trustees of our local library and the previous librarian retired. I applied for the position and was hired.’
While working as librarian at New Bethlehem, Tharan earned a master’s degree in library science from Clarion University, one of only three universities in Pennsylvania accredited by the American Library Association.
“I finished my degree in ’92. It took me five years because I was working full time and had two daughters in college,’ she said.
Tharan stayed with New Bethlehem library for 21 years.
“In that time, we were using rented facilities and we needed more space. We did a successful capital campaign project and built a building. We moved in August 2002,’ she said. “It was wonderful but a lot of work. Without my husband, we could never have done it. We saved $12,000 by his providing work in kind.’
That work included his painting the interior of the library, laying tile on the floor, and assembling and organizing all the bookshelves.
Tharan had been searching for a new position when she learned about the opening for a head librarian in Uniontown.
“I’d done what I could do at New Bethlehem. I felt a need to be more creative and do more things,’ Tharan explained, noting she learned about the Uniontown vacancy from the Pennsylvania Library Association’s Web page.
Tharan applied for the job and interviewed in November.
“I felt that connection at the interview,’ she said. “The people were wonderful, very concerned for the library. I said to Mike, ‘I can see myself here. Everything felt right.’ They called me back for a second interview in January and they offered me the position, and here I am.’
Asked what she likes about the Uniontown library, Tharan said, “There are so many things. The staff – it’s like walking into a family. They’re just so warm and we all seem to fit well together. I feel welcome here.
“The library facility is one of the best I’ve seen and I’ve interviewed in half a dozen places, including my home state of Massachusetts. And the Uniontown staff is so caring and attentive to the patrons,’ she continued. “The programming looks great. Dianne (McFeaters, children’s librarian) has done a superlative job lining up the summer children’s program and I’m hoping to sit in on some. I was just at a Friends (of Uniontown Public Library) meeting Monday. They are planning some exciting events.’
They include a Fashion Event and Luncheon on Sept. 13. The program will feature a historian who will discuss fashions from the 1920s to present day.
The library also is offering “Butterflies by Heather’ at 1 p.m. Thursday with live butterflies, plant specimens and caterpillars. Through the program, patrons will learn about different species of butterflies, how to plant a butterfly garden and metamorphosis.
“I definitely want to see that,’ said Tharan.
And continuing to talk about what she likes about Uniontown, Tharan said, “What struck me immediately is the support from different groups and organizations and people in the community. I firmly believe the board of trustees is one of the best I’ve seen. They are strong advocates for the library and do a lot to promote it and keep it going.
“One thing we’re promoting is the Dolly Parton Imagination Library,’ she continued. “Originally it was set up just for the children in the city of Uniontown. But we just got word that we’re going to expand it to include children in the Laurel Highlands School District and the Uniontown Area School District as well as the residents of the city. We’re going to put out another push for children to sign up. It means a free book every month for every child until his or her fifth birthday. It’s an amazing way to start a child’s life and love of reading. So many children who aren’t read to in the preschool years never develop a reading habit.
“Uniontown residents and the surrounding municipalities can be proud of this library. It’s a ‘gem in southwestern Pennsylvania,’ a quote from the staff of Commonwealth Libraries in Harrisburg,’ said Tharan, “and I’m going to work very hard to maintain and/or improve that. We will continue to provide our patrons and non-patrons with a very high level of excellence in library service when they enter the doors of this library.’