Each year, the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut presents the Eastern Connecticut Social Service Awards, recognizing agency staff and volunteers who have gone above and beyond in their duties, as nominated by industry peers. At the 12th Annual Social Service Recognition Breakfast, we honored Daneen Roth as Board Member of the Year.
“Social service is the ultimate way to ‘pay it forward’,” says Daneen Roth, President of the Board for the Public Library of New London.
With her guidance and leadership, the New London Public Library successfully braved the pandemic with new programming that put an emphasis on public support. Some of these programs included Lawyers at the Library, allowing residents access to free consultations with local attorneys by appointment. Another included staff putting together memory kits for patrons to use with their families and friends who may be suffering from cognitive decline.
Roth states that the New London Public Library continues “to serve the community in ways that will protect their health and safety. What motivates me to go above and beyond in my role is the importance of the Library in transforming lives…We never know in what ways our personnel, materials, and services will affect individuals and make a positive impact in their lives, especially in an underserved population such as ours.”
Despite difficulties resulting from the pandemic and limited hours, the public library has continued to pursue its many projects, including the completion of a newly constructed room for teens. Roth and the board are always searching for innovative ways to serve the community in tangible ways.
When asked about future goals in sight, Roth assures that the library will remain an important part of the area, as the board, staff, and volunteers adapt to the changing needs of their patrons. “We need to ‘be there’ for all, now and in the future,” says Roth.
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