People and Libraries in the News

The Holocaust Museum and Study Center in Spring Valley welcomed Rabbi Michael Gisser as its new Executive Director on July 2, 2004 after the retirement of director, Barbara Grau. Rabbi Gisser comes to the Museum from Farleigh Dickinson University where he served as the Director of Jewish Affairs and Israel Programs and as Adjunct Faculty for the past 7 years. Previously, he was Director of Campus Youth Services of UJA Federation in Bergen County and Program Director of Hillel at McGill University and Vanier College (Montreal).

Vassar Brothers Medical Center News:
In an old metal cabinet locked inside a closet at Vassar Brothers Medical Center, a rare treasure has been discovered. Mary Jo Russell, Manager of Library Services and resident Archivist, was called from her office to see "a bunch of old books". These "old books" turned out to be the original Board of Trustee meeting minutes dating back to 1886, one year before the hospital admitted its first patient! Also included in the find: uncashed bonds for area businesses and railroad investments, patient statistics, financial records, a framed charter for the opening of the first pharmacy in 1912, copy of the incorporation paper and an excerpt from the will of Matthew Vassar, Jr, describing the endowment of a hospital. Next to the cabinet sat a wheelchair in sad shape labeled "1895"! M. Russell is considering several options for storage and preservations of the material.

Staff change at the IBM Poughkeepsie Library:
Gregg Kiehl, who began in 1999 as a graduate assistant and went on to become site librarian in 2001, has accepted a new position at SUNY Cobleskill as head of circulation and interlibrary loan. He will be leaving the IBM Poughkeepsie Library on September 20. Karen Moksvold, who served three years as a graduate assistant until last year, will be returning as the new site librarian.

Regina Johnson is the new director at the Phoenicia Library following the retirement of previous director, Hilary Gold.

Linda Bailey is the new librarian at the Highland High School.

The Hudson River Psychiatric Center has opened a museum chronicling the long history of the center. Exhibits include various techniques used in mental health care from the 19th century on, some even predating the center which opened in 1871. The museum is located in the Cleaveland Home at the center, off Route 9G in the town of Poughkeepsie.

Sullivan County Community College library news:
Carol McBride began working at the Sullivan County Community College Hermann Memorial Library as a circulation department clerk/typist this past Spring.

The Hermann Memorial Library is inaugurating a brand new teaching room for information literacy classes. Equipped with the latest wireless technology, this new classroom (the renovated "Periodicals Room") will seat twenty students with laptop computers. The information literacy program is designed for students who need instruction in library research methods.

Southeastern News Online is published bi-monthly by SENYLRC staff.