On Saturday, June 22, 2024 at 2 pm, Scott Fybush, whose voice you’ve probably heard on WXXI, Rochester’s local NPR station, moderates a panel discussion with our local librarians. The directors of three local libraries (Adrienne Pettinelli from Henrietta Public Library, Kendyl Litwiller from Naples Public Library, and Ken Fox from the George Eastman Museum library) and a long-time children’s services librarian at Gates Public Library (Mary Jo Smith), sit down to talk about life as a librarian in the age of BookTok and book bans.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR AND PANELISTS

Scott Fybush – A native of Rochester, Scott Fybush is a journalist, radio consultant and passionate reader. He was the creator and longtime host of “Summer Book Week” on public radio in Rochester. In his spare time, Scott does storytelling and standup comedy. He lives in Brighton with his wife, Lisa, two kids, a dog and many piles of books.

Ken Fox – Ken Fox is the Head of Library and Archives at the Richard and Ronay Menschel Library at the George Eastman Museum in Rochester, New York. Formerly the associate editor of The Motion Picture Guide and a film reviewer for TV Guide, he is a graduate of the L. Jeffrey Selznick School of Film Preservation/University of Rochester master’s program, and holds a graduate degree in Information Science from the State University of New York at Albany.

Kendyl Litwiller – Kendyl Litwiller-Sutherby was appointed Director of Naples Library in July 2021. She joined the Naples Library team in 2017 as a part time clerk and has been part of the Naples Community almost her entire life. Kendyl is committed to providing high quality services to her community, to creating a welcoming environment for both library patrons and staff, as well as supporting staff professionally in the library and beyond. She also loves to read.

Adrienne Pettinelli – Adrienne Pettinelli is the Director of the Henrietta Public Library in Rochester, NY, and author of Helping Homeschoolers in the Library (2008, ALA Editions). She has served on several book award committees, including the 2015 Caldecott Selection Committee, and is a reviewer specializing in picture books and beginning readers for Horn Book Magazine. She teaches for the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is a visiting lecturer at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

Mary Jo Smith – Mary Jo Smith has been a children’s services librarian for over 40 years. Her first professional job was at the New Britain Public Library in Connecticut. She moved to the Farmington Branch Library in 1985 (right across from Miss Porter’s, the school attended by Jackie Onassis) before moving back to Rochester in 1988 as the Children’s Services Librarian at the Gates Public Library. Over her 36 years at that library, she has developed many new programs and services for the Gates community, especially in the area of early childhood. She was instrumental in getting an Early Learning Center in the library, which provides children with the opportunity to practice the skills they need to enter school ready to read. She has served in a number of roles in the Youth Services Section of the New York Library Association, and is currently the section’s Second Vice President. Locally, she is the Senior Warden of St. John’s Episcopal church, and was the Secretary for Music Boosters.

Please join us on Saturday, June 22, 2024 at 11 am for an author talk and book signing with Jack Butler and Diane Ham, authors of Mendon Ponds Park: Fairchild’s Dream, a superb history of our beloved Mendon Ponds Park, the largest park in Monroe County. Jack leads frequent tours through the park for Fairchild Tours, and Diane is the long-time historian for the Town of Mendon. Come listen to Jack and Diane share their stories about how their book came about and learn about the Mendon Ponds Park you never knew existed!

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Jack Butler – Jack spent most of his professional career in medical diagnostics and medical devices launching first-of-their-kind FDA cleared products in women’s health within the United States.  After over 30 years in healthcare, he started his own family run business.  For decades, he has run, hiked, skied, and explored the Park on and off trail, which led to research into various aspects of Mendon Ponds.  In 2021, Jack initiated the Fairchild Walking Tours with approval from the County of Monroe Parks Department and sponsorship by the Town of Pittsford Department of Recreation.  A variety of Tours leads participants through different areas while he shares information about the Park’s history, glacial features, former residents, flora and fauna, and unique features. Jack and spouse, Peggy, have been married forty-one years and have 2 children and 2 grandchildren.  Jack is a graduate of SUNY Cortland.

Diane Ham – Diane Ham was born in Oklahoma, grew up in Michigan, spent a few years in Kentucky and has lived in the Brighton / Mendon, New York area for about fifty-five years.  She has a BS degree in business administration from Central Michigan University.  She has been Mendon Town Historian, where she currently lives, for forty-five years.  She has written several books and booklets on Mendon subjects.  She became a registered historian of New York State in 2005 and is past president of the Monroe County Municipal Historians and a member of the Association of Public Historians of New York State.  In her spare time, she and her husband, Rodney, of sixty years enjoy renovating their old farmhouse, camping, and traveling extensively.  They have two married sons and two granddaughters who live in Michigan.