New Mt. Kisco Library Director Excited to Join

Mount Kisco's library has a new director in charge, and she is enthusiastic about it.

“Everyone has been wonderful," said Kathryn Feeley, who started work on Monday. She is the library's first permanent director in more than a year, replacing Susan Riley, who left to take the top role at Mamaroneck's library.

Feeley noted that folks have been supportive, and that she has met patrons and village staff.

The new director takes over at a time of technological shift, with e-books filling the traditional role of printed reading. While she still sees a role for print - the library also offers digital reading - she believes that the library can fill multiple roles, which in turn can drive people to make check outs.

“I think the library should be a real center piece of the community, and, and serve to assistant where ever we can so that we remain relevant," she said.

Feeley described the library as a community gathering space, one with a local presence.

Feeley has just arrived to Westchester from Ohio; she moved to the Mohegan Lake area several days ago, but her husband and cat have not made the journey yet. She comes to Mount Kisco after nearly five years in the Cleveland Public Library's system, which is made up of 28 branches. During that time she managed three branches, two of them concurrently. While in Cleveland, Feeley served on a international literary committee, where librarians would recommend their top titles to an organization in Dublin, Ireland to judge. She also served on committees for sustainability and public services (training).

Prior to Cleveland, Feeley was a branch manager and an adult services manager in the nearby East Cleveland library system. She holds a master's in library and information science from Kent State University, along with a bachelor's in history from Michigan State University. A Michigan native, Feeley recalls her love of libraries, dating back to when she was a page for one at her middle school.

Asked about making the transition from a big library to a small one, Feeley likes new scenerey. She feels that staf can be closer knit, for instance.

She said, “it moves to a different beat.”