Meet the New Bellmore Library Director

Hailing from the Merrick Library where she served as assistant director for several years, Maureen Garvey come to the Bellmore Memorial Library as its new director.

Born and raised in Merrick, Garvey graduated from St. John's University. She worked in the private sector before getting married and starting a family, and has lived in Manhattan, Memphis, TN and Norwalk, CT.

She started her career in libraries as a part-time circulation clerk at the Norwalk Public Library, and continued in circulation services in Merrick, becoming the head of circulation and technical processing before earning her Master's Degree in Library and Information Science from Queens College.

As a teen working part-time at the Merrick Library, Garvey started the Merrick Library's Teen Advisory Group. She was a founding member of the Nassau County Library Association's Technology Committee, and she continues to be a member of the Long Island Reads Committee. During her time as Nassau County co-chair, Long Island Reads hosted events with award-winning authors Chang-Rae Lee, Candace Millard and Doris Kearns Goodwin.

Garvey also served as the liaison between the Friends of the Merrick Library and the Historical Society of the Merricks as well as leading the very popular Mystery Lover's Book Club at the Merrick Library for many years.

"I am looking forward to getting to know the staff and the community of Bellmore, said Garvey. "I hope people will come into the library to meet me and say hello. Please let me know what you like about the library and what you have on your wish list for its future. I believe a library should be a community center as it is the one place where there is something for every member of the community. The library provides open and equal access to information, and so much more; it is the most democratic of institutions and it is also one of the most earth-friendly institutions; materials are used over and over again, shared by library users. So, please stop in for a visit. There will be changes, but I hope to continue Bellmore Memorial Library's tradition of warm and personal customer service."