The branch honors a St. Lawrence County woman for her work as employer, employee or volunteer with our biennial Agent of Change Award. When this award began, the national theme for AAUW was "Thanks to Women's Work."
An Agent of Change is noteworthy in one or all of three areas:
AAUW in the News: AAUW Agent of Change (Jan. 6 2010)
AAUW in the News: AAUW Honors Member For Service (Dec. 3, 2009)
AAUW in the News: AAUW Honors Patricia Musante (Oct. 4, 2009)
For more than 20 years AAUW has biennially honored a St. Lawrence County woman whose work as employer, employee or volunteer is noteworthy in one or all of these three areas: her work has advanced the cause of women's rights; her work exemplifies the importance of equity for women; her work has brought about significant change in the community.
It is with great honor that the AAUW-St. Lawrence County Branch announces the 2009 AAUW Agent of Change: Patricia Musante, Director of the Potsdam Public Library, a resident of Norwood, NY.
A former Potsdam Public Library board trustee, board president and avid library user, Mary Kelly Jones says, "Grace, passion, tenacity and vision are qualities Potsdam Public Library Director Patricia Musante has employed over the last 10 years to create a 21st century library. In the process she has redefined how residents of Potsdam and the surrounding communities perceive the public library. Pat's service to the community, dedication to the advancement of women's rights and unwavering commitment to ensure the equality for all women make her an ideal candidate for this year's AAUW Agent of Change award.
"Libraries seek to attract and meet the needs of avid readers. Pat takes this one step further. She looks at who is not using the library, where are the road blocks to library usage, and based on her findings, creates programs and services to attract these traditionally non-library users to come to the library. As a result the Potsdam Public Library has experienced a dramatic increase both library use and circulation.
"The library offers those seeking a new career job information and small business resource center. This has been particularly useful for women wanting to re-enter the work force and for those women seeking to create a new business venture. The Potsdam Public Library has successfully embraced the idea of offering library services to populations challenged to get to the library such as local senior housing sites and residents at Evergreen Park.
"Pat is hard at work to bring the Fred Cleveland Literacy Center to fruition in the next year. The center, located in the basement of the library will offer a wide range of literacy services to the community. Pat is the only librarian in the county to have a weekly radio show highlighting the new materials and library programs as well as the latest reading trends.
"Without question the creation of a library taxing district is her most challenged, successful and ambitious project to date. After exhausting local funding sources, Pat introduced the idea of instituting a solid, stabilizing funding source. Her tireless effort resulted in the passage of the Potsdam Public Library taxing district, one of the few such districts in New York State.
"The new taxing district significantly increased the yearly book budget from $19,000 to $47,000. This allowed for the first time the Potsdam Public Library to increase its collection from simply popular fiction to a larger teen collection, graphic novels, books on CD and DVD's. With a wide variety of programs and an expanded collection, the library continues to demonstrate its value in the community as the library with the highest circulation in the county.
"Pat orchestrated to secure for the Friends of the Potsdam Library a space in the basement of the library to create a used bookstore.
"An Agent of Change embraces the road blocks of change and finds creative ways to incorporate these "road blocks" into the landscape. Through her consistent dedication to quality library services, Pat has introduced Potsdam and the surrounding communities to the abundant opportunities of the global village in which we all live, by visiting the library.
"Pat gifts departing board members with a wonderful children's book called Miss Rumphius by Barbara Clooney. It's a story about a welt travelled librarian who spreads beauty and sharing happiness by scattering lupine seeds around Maine. Pat is Potsdam's Miss Rumphius; she as scattered the seeds of reading, she has helped us to discover and value the beauty of a well tended and nurtured library."
Pat hosts the AAUW book discussion group and in September will introduce group participants to their first graphic novel. AAUW member and Book Group regular Kay Briggs writes, "The book group reflects diversity- members have come from Malone, Nicholville and Gouverneur. Some belong to other book groups, 'The public is welcome' means that we have non-members, men, and people of different ages. The age spread is particularly helpful in bringing out different points of view. Pat Musante is a happy embodiment of the spirit sponsored by our AAUW organization which welcomes diversity, and encourages continuing education, and lifelong learning."
And Pat has a positive impact far outside of the library field. Nancy Horan, Professor Emerita at SUNY Canton, writes that "Pat is a regular visitor at the Canton Nursing Home where she is attentive to quality of life issues for residents and bringing concerns to the attention of the nursing home staff. This year she established a connection with a professor at Potsdam College who teaches a course that includes a community service requirement which brought some fifteen student volunteers to the nursing home to spend time with residents. The program is to continue this fall and, hopefully, will become a permanent practice.
"In working with Pat on these issues, I continue to be heartened by her compassion and dedication to work as an advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves. Often the good people do goes unseen. The AAUW Agent of Change award is a wonderful opportunity to recognize the remarkable contributions Pat Musante has made to the North Country."
Kimberly A. McFaddin, a Social Worker at the Nursing Home, writes of Pat, that she "is an advocate for community involvement in the nursing home. As United Helpers is planning culture change and more resident focused living, Pat consistently advocates for enhanced volunteerism and developing structures to make the volunteer programs a success. Pat also supports the activity program through bringing in "Bi-Folkal" kits that provide tools and visual aids to stimulate conversation and reminiscing with the residents. She periodically changes the topics and updates the kits to support continued dialogue and interaction.
"Pat is a woman who cares about people and the resources available to people in her community. The nursing home is a place that many never experience. But for those who do, Pat's contributions and vision add a little something extra to the human experience that is sometimes forgotten."
The AAUW-St. Lawrence County Branch is proud to award Patricia Musante its 2009 Agent of Change Award.
Past recipients of this award: