SOUTH HADLEY – Three incumbents will face two challengers for the race for the South Hadley Public Library Board of Trustees.

Voters will choose between incumbents David Morrell, Susan Obremski-Crowther and Gillian Woldorf and newcomers Donald J. D’Amato and Amy Diehl. The annual town election is Tuesday, April 11.

Three of the five candidates attending Thursday night’s Know Your Town Candidate forum. All three in attendance are incumbents.

Neither Amy Diehl nor Donald D’Amato attended the forum. Multiple attempts to reach D’Amato Friday were unsuccessful. Diehl responded to an email interview request saying that she was unavailable and did not respond to a follow up questionnaire.

At the forum, Morrell, Obremski-Crowther and Woldorf were able to introduce themselves to the crowd as well as answer a question about the integration of the Gaylord Memorial Library and the South Hadley Public Library.

David Morrell

A retired reference librarian who worked in West Springfield, Morrell said joined the South Hadley Library Trustees because he wanted to do something for the town.

In his time as a trustee, Morrell has seen the construction of the new library and said he’s enjoyed his work.

“We at the library in South Hadley are very community oriented,” Morrell told the crowd. “It’s a community center. It’s not longer a ‘shush’ library. They want you to come in and enjoy yourself.”

Addressing the topic of library integration, Morrell said that he has a longstanding relationship with the Gaylord having started the friends of the library.

The memorandum of understanding, which outlines how the two libraries will run under integration, has been signed by both library boards, the Selectboard and has been approved by Town Meeting.

Morrell said that with the integration, they are trying to bring a programs in and bring the town together as one noting that the schools have already come together.

“There are many divisions that have happened in town,” he said.

He added that he’d like to see the water and fire districts merge but acknowledged it may be a “pipe dream.”

Susan Obremski-Crowther

An award-winning librarian, Obremski-Crowther has served as a library trustee for 14 years. She also served as chairperson for the library building committee.

Telling the crowd about her passion for libraries, she shared a story of visiting her son in Washington D.C. When asked what she wanted to see, Obremski-Crowther recalled responding the Library of Congress so she could get a library card.

On the topic of the integration, Obremski-Crowther said she has in her heart for the library having grown up going to the library to do her homework as a student.

Citing her years as a librarian, Obremski-Crowther said the mission for any library is to spread goodwill and programs and services throughout the community so that everyone can enjoy the all benefits.

“Putting the two libraries together with all of our resources and all of our programming would be best for our community,” she said.

Gillian Woldorf

A behavioral health therapist and a professional violinist, Woldorf has served as a trustee for three years. During that time, she said, the board’s major task was to ensure the seamless transition into the new library building.

“I’m proud of the way our library staff and community as whole made it happen,” Woldorf said.

In her first term, the board also discussed integrating the two libraries but only this past year did that get realized. At the forum, Woldorf assured voters that she would work to make sure that the MOU was followed to the letter.

“I think that each library really has a lot that it can learn from the other library. There are different cultures at each library,” Woldorf said. “I think that we can simultaneously preserve the culture of each library while expanding the services that are offered to all in town.”

“It’s not without controversy but I think that like many other changes that we as a town have made, it will ultimately be one that is beneficial for everybody.”

Emily Cutts can be reached at ecutts@gazettenet.com.

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