Ramapo Catskill Library System honors Patricia Shanley

MONROE — Excellence and dedicated service to public libraries is recognized each year by the Ramapo Catskill Library System (RCLS) Board of Trustees through the Anthony J. Knipp Library Trustee Award.
Patricia Shanley, president of the Monroe Free Library (MFL) Board of Trustees was named the 2017 honoree at the September RCLS Legislative Breakfast, where she received a plaque and a $250 donation for her library.
A Syracuse native intent on teaching, Shanley earned a BS in Humanities from LeMoyne College, where a job posting led her to a career as a librarian instead. She applied for the position as an elementary school librarian and while working in three different school districts for the Jefferson County BOCES, she earned Master of Library Science Degree at Syracuse University over several summers.
After four years in elementary positions, Shanley moved up to the high school level and worked for 33 years at Pearl River Jigh School in Rockland County.
Shanley lives in Monroe with her husband of 42 years, Brian Shanley, who also retired from Pearl River High School, where he taught accounting and Latin.
'The voice of reason and fairness'“Pat is so deserving of this award for her many productive years of excellent service,” said MFL Executive Director Marilyn McIntosh, who nominated Shanley for the award. "In recent years she proved her love for our library by remaining a voice of reason and fairness. She was instrumental in acquiring two state construction grants and has spent much personal time attending workshops and webinars to strengthen her skills as a superior trustee.”
Shanley’s list of credits bears out her years of dedicated service and love for libraries. This includes being president of the Pearl River Teachers Association from 1971-72; president of School Library Media Specialists of South Eastern NY from 1993-95, and president of School Library Media Section of the NY Library Association 2005-06.
She has been a member of the New York Library Association since 1979 and the American Library Association since 1983.
Shanley served as liaison to the Library Association of Rockland County for the Rockland BOCES School Library System and is a charter member of the NYS Academy of Teaching and Learning.
'The great equalizers'“Libraries are the great equalizers, a place where you can educate yourself, seek out the facts and form your own opinion," Shanley said. “They provide the best bang for your tax dollar. They serve all members of the community from birth to death. You pay taxes for fire protection and police protection but hope to never have to use them. You don't need a crisis to use the library. If you have Internet access you can connect to your library anytime, anywhere and use their on-line resources, download e-books, renew items. place holds, research databases. Now tell me that isn't a bargain.
“The library should be the center of any community - and ours in Monroe is,” Shanley added. “Along with our dedicated staff, led by Director Marilyn McIntosh, our Board of Trustees is committed to bringing Monroe the best library service possible. Just check out our website at to find the outstanding programs going on every day.”