Caitlyn Boland

MARS — The Mars Public Library welcomed a new library director earlier this month, as the board seeks to increase community outreach and public programs to educate and entertain area residents.

Caitlyn Boland joined the library team on Nov. 1.

“It’s been going really well,” Boland said. “I’ve been really enjoying being able to serve the community in this capacity. This for me is a place where I’m really looking to do a lot of good work.”

Boland, who is from the Mars area, said she is excited to work for the benefit of the town she’s from.

“I live in the area and I have family that lives and works in the area as well,” she said. “So not only am I passionate about the library, I have that personal connection too.”

In the two weeks that she’s been the director, Boland has been working to understand routine operations while preparing for the library’s future.

“I’m diving in and just learning the day to day tasks right now, but I have plans,” she said. “Starting in January we’ll be offering computer classes and people can bring in their devices.

“We’ll also start to expand into offering more teen plans for the community and working with local businesses to help offer educational and recreational classes for adults.”

A former musician, Boland earned a master’s degree in library science at the University of Pittsburgh.

While she initially expected to use her degree in musical libraries, she quickly got into public libraries.

“I got my first children’s library job before I graduated,” she said. “Then I went from West Allegheny to assistant director for Butler Area Public Library.”

But Boland’s roots are in Mars. So when the borough needed a new library director, she answered the call.

“I loved my job at Butler, but if there was any job that could sway me to leave that position, it’d be this one in Mars,” she said.

The job of a librarian has been changing as libraries work to keep up with advances in technology and changing consumer interests, she said.

“It’s certainly more than twirling my thumbs and reading books all day,” Boland said. “It’s public relations, marketing, grant writing, fundraising, teaching classes, forming partnerships, working with local organizations, and along with book ordering and cataloging and paying the bills, there’s a lot more involved. No day is ever the same”

As Boland seeks to implement these changes and expand the library’s offerings to the community, the library is looking for volunteers.

“We are currently in the process of recruiting library board members so if anyone is interested, we have positions available,’ she said. “We are hoping to fill that position in the next several months. We are also looking for people to join as a part of our library’s friends group.”