OSSINING, NEW YORK
March 19, 2010
JAMES L. FARRELL, JR. NAMED DIRECTOR
OF OSSINING PUBLIC LIBRARY
OSSINING, NY The Ossining Public Library Board of Trustees announced today the appointment of James L. Farrell, Jr. as the librarys director. Farrell, a veteran library consultant and educator who has been acting as interim library director of the Ossining Public Library since October, 2009, takes over his new position effective immediately.
Officially, Farrells appointment will be probationary for a period of six months, and is contingent on his successful certification as Library Director III when Westchester County next offers the examination. His annual salary will be $105,000.
I’m really pleased that Jim has accepted our offer to become director of the Ossining Public Library, said Peter Capek, Board of Trustees President of the Ossining Public Library. In the few months that hes been our interim director, hes shown real leadership and an ability to make things happen that have served our patrons and staff very well. His ability to enact improvements and solve problems in effective ways makes him a real asset for the library and the Ossining community as a whole.
Formerly the library development specialist at the New York State Librarys Division of Library Development in Albany, NY, where he was the regional consultant for public libraries in Westchester and New York City and on Long Island, Farrell has a long record of success and innovation in developing and presenting continuing education and training activities for library professionals, staff and library trustees. After 23 years of service with the New York State Library, Farrell started his own library consulting business in 2004; some of his clients have included the Four County Library System, Monroe County Library System and East Fishkill Community Library. He is regarded as one of the foremost authorities on library law in New York.
Farrell began his career as a teacher at Stephen Decatur Junior High School in Brooklyn, NY. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hunter College, majoring in history, and went on to receive a Master of Library Science degree at Queens College. Farrell served with the United States Marine Corps in Vietnam from 1964-1967.
Presently, Farrell is also an adjunct associate professor at the Graduate School of Library & Information Studies at Queens College-CUNY and the Palmer School of Library & Information Science at Long Island University. For the Palmer School he teaches the five courses required for the Public Library Administrators Certificate program. He has been a resident of Cortlandt Manor, NY since 2004.
