Joan Schottenfeld
Joan Schottenfeld, Vice-Chair Library Trustees
Libraries have been my passion since I was three years old and my mother and I walked to our neighborhood branch every week in Brooklyn, New York. The proudest day of my young life was when I received my own library card.
I have always viewed the library as a haven, a gathering place for everyone in the community. A safe, welcoming place to learn the world and explore it, a space to read as many books as I could manage to take home with me. Libraries have changed today but my passion for them has only grown stronger.
The first place that I visited when my family and I moved to Canton in 1989 was the Canton Public Library. As soon as our furniture was moved in the first must go-to place for me and my daughters was the library.
As a trustee for over twenty years, I have been privileged to help our library grow and adjust to our new world. I introduced Canton Reads to our community with, “To Kill A Mockingbird”. I helped transition to our new library after our renovation. I served on countless committees to improve our services, hire staff, oversee our budgets, policies and programs. Presently I am the chair of our new Interior Design Committee, working toward repairing and redesigning our indoor space to accommodate our ever growing community and its changing population.
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I have been an Adult Basic Education (ABE) teacher for the past twenty years, helping adults to acquire their GED/HiSET test certifications. I taught ELA, Social Studies and developed a Science curriculum for my students that has now been adopted by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) as an exemplar for Massachusetts ABE teachers. Most recently I taught at-risk mothers and their children achieve family stability and educational advancement at Julie’s Family Learning in Boston before retiring last May. .I now serve as a curriculum coach and reading specialist/trainer for the Department of Education (DESE) helping Adult educators in Massachusetts improve their teaching skills.
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I have been a member of the Canton Diversity Equity and Inclusion (CDEI) for the past two years serving as liaison to the library so that we can work together to further inclusion in our town. I was also a member of Fincom for two years.
I have been a journalist for the Canton Citizen, covering school committee meetings, school and town events and writing feature stories. I have written a column, “As You Like It”, for the past twenty-five years based on my life as a Canton Citizen.
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Being a Library Trustee is one of the most important missions of my life. The library is the heart of our community and we must work to ensure that it is a welcoming place for everyone. We are currently working to further shape the policies and the physical space, indoor and out, and I need your support to continue this vital work.
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Thank you for your support!
Joan Schottenfeld
schottenfeldforthelibrary@gmail.com
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