SWAMPSCOTT — For Trustee of the Public Library Neal DeChillo, it’s no question that the Swampscott Public Library has become interwoven within the fabric of the town and the community itself.
He spoke about a personal connection to libraries growing up. “I grew up in Brooklyn, New York, in walking distance to the main branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, and it’s a place that I would frequent quite a bit,” he explained. He was going through college and graduate school, and he always found libraries to be a wonderful place to go.
“They were always welcoming spaces, and I think that’s something that really influenced me, those early positive impressions of libraries,” he said.
He spoke about what initially inspired him to run for the library’s Trustee role. “I had recently retired from being the Vice Provost at Salem State University, and after I retired in 2019, I was looking for a place where I might be able to make a contribution in town… I was looking for things to do, and I thought the library would be a good fit for me,” DeChillo said.
“I think libraries are under greater pressure at this point, with funding being a main concern — budgets are tight everywhere, and they’re tighter than they were when I started three years ago,” he said.
DeChillo also talked about how he’s used his experiences in life during his first term as the Trustee. “It’s very important that the Board of Trustees recognize its role, and the limitations of its role,” he said. “We are there to work in collaboration with the Director of the Public Library; we are not there to dictate how the library is run.”
He continued, “We’re there to make sure the community is heard… That it feels represented. We make sure the lines of communication are open, and also making sure a library like ours receives appropriate funding, which is increasingly a challenge,” DeChillo said.
In Stoneham, He referenced a proposal to cut library funding completely starting July 1 from the Finance and Advisory Board meeting on April 3. “That would absolutely be tragic… I don’t anticipate that happening in Swampscott, but it’s the kind of thing that makes you take pause,” DeChillo said. “It really makes you recognize the value of the library, and how important it is to a community.”
“Everything we do is in collaboration with Director Jonathon Nichols, and one of the first things we did was hire Nichols, and that’s something I can say I was very proud to be a part of… Since then, we’ve updated policies and procedures based on the needs of the library.”
Under Nichols’ leadership, Dechillo said the board was able to achieve a “teen room,” a “maker’s space,” and the board is also in the process of implementing renovations to the entrance of the library. He said the library has received funding from the town, and hopes the project will be completed by next year.
“We’re very excited about that,” he said.
Looking ahead, DeChillo plans to maintain the current course of action to keep the library in a place where it can thrive. “I’m growing into the role, but I don’t think there’s anything that really changes.” He said they have an excellent staff at the library, and that through collaboration, the library will continue to evolve to serve the changing needs of the community.
