New director impressed by library's service to public

Beginning her third week as director of the Schaumburg Township District Library Monday, Stephanie Sarnoff said the experience has only exceeded her high expectations.

"It's even better than I thought it would be," she said. "The entire staff is so enthusiastic and self-motivated."

Sarnoff was among 30 people who vied for the job, and said she applied based on the national reputation of the Schaumburg library system for industry leadership.

In winning the position in December, she became Schaumburg's first new library director in 41 years, replacing Michael Madden, who retired.

She said her new library is tops even in the library-friendly culture of Illinois, which is significantly different from that of New York state, where she came from and where many libraries are run by municipalities, not separating taxing districts.

Here, she said, "people see a direct link between their tax dollars and the library service they receive."

Though Scarsdale, N.Y., had a strongly supported library, it was an exclusively bedroom community with no significant commercial base.

One of the things she's been most impressed with in Schaumburg is the speed with which the library has responded to the downturn in the economy with programs and resources for job seekers.

She also likes the way the library has reached out to all its constituents with branches in Hoffman Estates and Hanover Park.

"I think they are charming," she said of the branch facilities. "In the best of all possible senses, they are welcoming to children and families."

These branches, the always busy drive-through window at the central library and the long public service hours are among the many ways her new library differs from the Scarsdale Public Library, Sarnoff said.

For the past two weeks, Sarnoff has been getting to know the community's patrons and major players, both in and outside the library itself.

In recent days she's also met with Schaumburg's village manager and officials of Schaumburg Township Elementary District 54 and Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 about tax issues.

Monday morning she attended a legislative breakfast hosted by the North Suburban Library System, and Monday night her first library board meeting.

A valuable resource throughout has been her predecessor, Madden, who oversaw the library's growth from the late 1960s.

"We have sat down and chatted," Sarnoff said of Madden. "He could not be more understanding and cooperative and willing and able to teach."