With the retirement of longtime Monmouth County Library Director Kenneth Sheinbaum on Dec. 31, the Monmouth County Library Commission has announced the appointment of Judith Tolchin as interim director.
Tolchin, who has 22 years of service at the Monmouth County Library, was most recently branch manager/chief librarian at library headquarters in Manalapan, and was responsible for the operation of headquarters, which is the largest public library building in the state.
In addition, Principal Librarian Kim Avagliano, who worked in administration at Library Headquarters in Manalapan, is the new chief librarian at Eastern Branch Library in Shrewsbury, following the recent retirement of Janet Kranis, who had been chief librarian at Eastern Branch since 1986. Avagliano has been with the library system since 1991.
“The Library Commission is delighted to welcome Ms. Tolchin and Ms. Avagliano to their new positions of leadership,” said Library Commission Chair Renee B. Swartz. “Under their direction, the commission is confident the Monmouth County Library System will continue to move forward with its superlative library services and programs to best serve the residents of Monmouth County.”
Tolchin will oversee the Monmouth County Library System, which has 13 branches and 14 member libraries, and is the second largest library system in New Jersey.
Prior to becoming chief librarian at headquarters, Tolchin served as assistant branch manager at headquarters and also as the public relations senior librarian, in charge of programming and public services and marketing for the library. She holds a master’s degree in library and information science from Rutgers University.
Library Director Kenneth Sheinbaum retired after almost 42 years of service with the library.
“Throughout his outstanding career, Ken has been widely recognized as an advocate for, and a champion of, the Monmouth County Library System,” said Freehold Lillian Burry, Library liaison. “By ushering in technical innovations, and always recognizing the multitude of benefits a library brings to the entire community, Ken has fostered many innovative and entertaining programs for everyone from children to seniors.”
Sheinbaum began his tenure with the Monmouth County Library System as a library trainee in June 1972, working at the library headquarters building in the Borough of Freehold while attending Rutgers University.
Sheinbaum served as the head of technical services before becoming assistant director for the Monmouth County Library System in 1990, and in addition to his continuing supervision of technical and computer services, became the chief liaison for the library system’s member libraries. In 1992, he was named director of the Monmouth County Library System.
As the chief librarian and branch manager for the Eastern Branch, Janet Kranis oversaw the extensive construction and renovation project there from 2004 through 2008. Also during her tenure, the Eastern Branch received the designation of regional reference center and become a regional resource center for the State Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Kranis began working for the Monmouth County Library System in 1976 as a high school page, working out of the Eastern Branch, and also worked as the branch head at the Ocean Township and Hazlet Township libraries and as the library’s children’s services coordinator during her 37-year tenure at the county library system.
To honor the many years of service by both Sheinbaum and Kranis, the library commission approved the planting of two flowering cherry trees – one at the entrance of library headquarters in Manalapan for Sheinbaum, and one at the entrance of Eastern Branch in Shrewsbury for Kranis. Plaques honoring the two longtime library employees will be placed at the foot of both trees.
