Victoria Herow appointed new director of Amenia Free Library

AMENIA — Just weeks after saying goodbye to former director Erika Palombo, the Amenia Free Library welcomed Victoria Herow as its new library director, beginning Tuesday, Aug. 27.

A current resident of Millerton, Herow was raised in the hamlet of Wassaic, graduating from Webutuck High School in 2005. While pursuing her studies in history and American studies at Elmira College in Elmira, N.Y., she fell into the library field during a work-study program at the college library. Following a short stint in law school, she returned home where she soon found a job at the Edsel Ford Memorial Library at The Hotchkiss School in Salisbury, Conn.

When asked which aspects of her work she finds the most appealing, Herow remarked, “I always like interacting with people and helping them find what they need.”

However, after nine years as an access services librarian at The Hotchkiss School, Herow was ready to move on. It was around that time that Linda Gregory, a member of the Amenia Free Library Board of Trustees, reached out to Herow to notify her about the job opening for the library director position in Amenia. Seizing the opportunity to advance her career, Herow interviewed for the position around the end of July. She officially began her work at the Amenia Free Library on Tuesday, Aug. 27.

Herow understood right away that she would be helping the library transition through its upcoming expansion. 

“I’d definitely like to help the library… make that transition to having a bigger space with more room for activities and meetings,” Herow said.

Among other goals, she showed an interest in expanding the library’s physical book collection and building connections with other organizations in the local community, including The Wassaic Project. She also shared plans to make use of her connections to the North East (Webutuck) Central School District as her sister, Marie Herow, begins her career in teaching art and music at Webutuck Elementary School and Eugene Brooks Intermediate School.

As she gets better acquainted with the library and learns what its needs are, Herow admitted she expects a few challenges along the way, though she voiced confidence in her strengths.

“I think being from the community and knowing the town is a big plus,” Herow said.

In the meantime, she has encouraged residents to stop by the library for a chance to browse its various resources and to say hello.