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As the Branch Manager of The Jefferson Market Library for over 10 years and Greenwich Village resident for the last 20, I realize how lucky I am to serve such a truly wonderful neighborhood. For me, the central event that defines the Greenwich Village community is that they rallied, against big odds, to save Jefferson Market from demolition and to convert it from a courthouse to a library. It is this passionate activism and just plain smarts that inspires me to try and think creatively and to really earn the huge honor of working in this beautiful, beloved building.

The Library’s job is to deliver programs and services the public wants and needs: books and materials, computers, children’s story times, book discussions, courses taught by university professors, film screenings and art exhibitions. Libraries are a place to discover new things, to meet someone or learnsomething new, and for people to gather as a community. All of this is free and open to the public.

Within this active community, public engagement helps us create new resources here at the Library, like the recent projectYour Village, Your Story: A Greenwich Village Oral History Project. Our goal was to tell the real history of this historic neighborhood through the unique, day-to-day experiences of the people who actually lived in these fabled buildings, walked these streets and witnessed first-hand world famous events.Thanks to many volunteers and residents, more than 100 oral histories have been recorded. I look forward to when Greenwich Village residents, researchers and interested people worldwide can listen to these amazing stories which are now available online at http://oralhistory.nypl.org and in our circulating collections.

This column is a chance for us to tell you about just some of the surprises coming up at The Jefferson Market Library each month. Sometimes the column will be written by me or one of my fabulous colleagues on staff here at the Library. However, you can also expect to hear from the professors teaching seminars here and the wonderful artists, authors, and other guests visiting our Library soon.

I am always trying to find new and better ways to serve this community, and I would love to hear your ideas and feedback. What would you like to have at the Library? What do you want to hear about in this column? Stop by the Library and speak to me in person, or send me an email at frankcollerius@nypl.org.And for more information on how you can support the Library so that we have the funds to do even more, please visit http://nypl.org/speakout .

Frank Collerius is the Library Manager of The Jefferson Market Library, a branch of The New York Public Library. He is also a Greenwich Village resident.

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