HomeMy Public PortalAbout2/8/2022 Proclamation: Proclamation Honoring Leone Cole on Her Retirement as Library DirectorELECTED OFFICIALS:
Watertown City Council
Administration Building
149 Main Street
Watertown, MA 02472
Phone: 617-972-6470
Mark Sisident
PROCLAMATION HONORING LEONE COLE
Council
l President
ON HER RETIREMENT AS LIBRARY DIRECTOR
Vincent J. Piccirilli, Jr., WHEREAS: Leone Cole has served Watertown as its Library Director for 27 years beginning
Vice President &
March 20,1995 and has created a library that removes access barriers by expanding library hours of
District C Councilor
operation to 70 hours a week, abolishing library Imes, and adopting cutting edge technology.
John U Airasian
Through her leadership the library was among the first in the region to provide computers, internet
Councilor At Large
service, a library website, and other technology to increase access to library resources; and
Caroline Bays
WHEREAS: Ms. Cole directed a multi -million -dollar library renovation in 2006 that preserves the
Councilor At Large
original library and adds a modem building that is welcoming and greatly loved by patrons; and
John G. Gannon,
WHEREAS: Ms. Cole has preserved and displayed the rich local history of Watertown with a
Councilor At Large
dedicated Local History room to showcase Watertown's past with a local author collection, art,
Anthony Palomba,
photographs, and other ephemera documenting Watertown's past. In 2016 the Library began
Councilor At Large
highlighting this collection with digital displays and providing access to hundreds of digitized
primary sources on the library website; and
Nicole Gardner,
District A Councilor
WHEREAS: Ms. Cole successfully advocated for funding resulting in a 211 % increase during her
tenure to enlarge support for Project Literacy; establish the Hatch Makerspace; add new positions
Lisa Feltner,
District B Councilor
including Outreach Librarian, Local History Librarian, and Makerspace Coordinator; increase
collection funding; establish a Library of Things collection; and create a- soon to be launched
Emily Iao,
bookmobile; and
District D Councilor
WHEREAS: Ms. Cole exhibited exemplary leadership during the pandemic by providing remote
programming opportunities, curbside access to books and library materials, and reopening to the
public safely; and
WHEREAS: Ms. Cole has been a fierce advocate for intellectual freedom in the public library,
maintaining an environment where no content is arbitrarily censored; and
WHEREAS: Watertown Free Public Library, the staff, and Trustees are constantly praised as the
"gem of the city" made possible by Ms. Cole's dedication to provide exceptional library services.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the City Council of Watertown extends its
congratulations to
LEONE COLE ON HER RETIREMENT AS LIBRARY DIRECTOR
IN WITNESS HEREOF,
I have hereunto set my hand and caused the
Great Seal of the City of Watertown to be
Affixed on this 1 st day of February 2022.
Mark S. Si ris, CoGeil President