Janet Asiain
“I think it’d be wonderful to be a part of what they do and to contribute whatever I can, based on my background and my interests.”
Janet Asiain (the unusual Spanish Basque name she married into rhymes with “valentine,” as in “ah-see-aiyn”) is a retired teacher who taught English at the university level in California and was a home-school resource teacher there, working with the home-school population to ensure that those students got the same resources that kids in the classrooms receive. “That’s where I discovered beyond the personal level how important libraries are,” she says.
Asiain lived and worked mostly in the Monterey Bay area with a few years in Ojai, near Santa Barbara. She grew up in Minnesota. Asiain has lived in the Hudson Valley for about nine years; the last three of those in Saugerties. And while she moved to the area to be near her daughter, who had moved to the Hudson Valley to work as a nurse, Asiain is glad it worked out this way. “Saugerties is a great community,” she said. “The place itself is beautiful, but that wouldn’t matter if the people weren’t so wonderful.” Asiain recently purchased a home in Saugerties and says she’s here to stay.
During her teaching career, she was a member of several school boards in California. She currently volunteers with the Ulster Literacy Association and has been active in the Saugerties Transition Town initiative for two years.
Why are you running?
I think there is no more important educational resource in any community than the public library, especially for everybody over age 18 and not in school any more. The kind of resources that the library has to offer are really important for everybody—in the classroom and beyond. I’ve used libraries everywhere I’ve lived, and to me, it’s the most important building in the community.
What would you like to focus on if elected?
The educational programming. That’s where my expertise is and that’s where I think I would be able to contribute the most. They’re doing a great job now, and I think it’d be wonderful to be a part of what they do and to contribute whatever I can, based on my background and my interests.
Rita Ford
“There are many strengths in my arsenal… I would be a good candidate for the program committee.”
Originally from New Jersey, Rita Ford, 56, has lived in Saugerties for eight years with her husband Robert, a reporter for this newspaper. She is currently employed at Elna Magnetics. Ford has a bachelor’s degree in business management, and has volunteered her bookkeeping and marketing skills at several nonprofits in the area. She has been a volunteer with the Red Cross and with the Big Brother/Big Sister organization of Ulster County. Ford was co-president of the United Methodist Women at Saugerties Methodist Church for two years, and recently worked with the Saugerties Senior Center to help them upgrade their presence on social media sites and town and village websites.
What is your interest in the Library Board based on?
I basically “grew up” in my local library and I use ours very frequently; not only for reading material, but also as a social gathering place. I was a member of the Knit-Wits knitting group that met at the library for years. [It was] recently disbanded due to lack of interest, but Tiffany [Lydecker, acting library director] and I will be trying to revive that group in the fall.
What strengths do you have to offer the board?
There are many strengths in my arsenal— I have a bookkeeping, management and marketing background. I’m interested in many of the programs provided by the library, so I would be a good candidate for the program committee.
Are there any areas in particular that you think the library should be focusing on at this time?
Other than the obvious, getting a new director, I am interested in the idea that one board member brought up at the July meeting. She indicated that the library would make a great gathering place in a major storm when many homes are without power. Since there is a generator, and Wi-Fi, people could stay warm and stay in touch with family members.
Brian Collins
“The library does a lot of good for the community, and I like to get involved and give back.”
Brian Collins, 58, grew up in Middle Village, Queens. “My earliest memories are going to the library and taking books out and bringing them back on time,” he said. “The Dewey Decimal System was not a mystery.” Collins moved to Saugerties in 1979, initially owning and operating a sawmill on West Saugerties Rd. until an industrial accident put an end to that. He went to night school at NYU to study programming and IT, then went to work for MetLife Insurance Company in data processing. He remained with the firm as a database administrator for 28 years, working out of its offices in New York City, Albany and Kingston until his recent retirement.
What skills or qualities do you have that you could offer the Library Board?
My biggest contribution would be my enthusiasm and my energy. And I’m good with a spread sheet; I know data.
Why are you running?
The library does a lot of good for the community, and I like to get involved and give back. The library gives people the opportunity to better themselves. I visit the library every day, and getting involved seemed like the logical thing to do.
What do you think the board should focus on?
I’d like to see the library strike a balance between being the traditional book lender and offering the services. I believe that the Internet and digital media are nice but could all be gone in a minute. My hobby, my passion, is saving books. I don’t collect them; I save them and cherish them. Having that tangible thing that people can hold in their hand is very important as well as all the new stuff.
Join the family! 
