New Library Director Tabitha Guarnieri

Torrington-native, Tabitha Guarnier, started her new position as Library Director for the Goshen Public Library on Monday, June 19th, the first state recognized Juneteenth Holiday! First Selectman Todd Carusillo announced Guarnieri new position during a Board of Selectmen meeting on June 13th. The Library Director position became available after Lynn Steinmayer submitted her letter of resignation to the Library Board of Director on April 19th. Steinmayer worked as the town’s Library Director for almost sixteen years starting in 2007.  In her letter  to the Board, the reason for her resignation was financial, and stated she could no longer afford to be Director of the Library.   However she spent her remaining work days helping her friends and fellow staff transition Guarnieri into her new role.  Goshen News wishes Ms. Steinmayer success in her future endeavors and thanks her for so many years of great dedication and service.

Guarnieri herself has a long history in studying literature and library sciences.  In high school she began taking part in a writing group at Torrington Library run by the current Torrington Library Director Jessica Gueniat who was a programmer at the time. Guarnieri mentored Guarnieri throughout her library career.   Her goal, however, of working in a library was not the original plan. She instead studied Communication and Media at Central Connecticut State University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in 2015. At CCSU she worked as a Student Production Technician for CCSU TV but her career eventually led her back to the library field. She volunteered at Farmington Libraries for a bit before Guarnieri officially began her library profession managing the Teen Book Collection of the Torrington Library. Here she worked as a Circulation and Program Assistant starting in 2016. “I took over when the teen librarian was on maternity leave so she let me kind of take over on her collection there..,” said Guarnieri during an interview with the Goshen News. “That’s probably because my speciality is collections. Seeing what could come in, what we need coming here,  {and} what we shouldn’t get.  …Once in a while you gotta make room for more stuff so you gotta, unfortunately, get rid of some books…” She would continue working in Torrington as she returned to her studies, eventually graduating in 2019 with a Masters Degree in Library and Information Science from Wayne State University in Michigan.

During this same period Guarnieri wrote her first novel “Standing By” published in 2018 under her pen name Tabitha G. Kelly.  The book currently has an average score of 4.38 stars out five on the literary cataloging website goodreads. Guarnieri is currently working on two more novels.

While Guarnieri is still getting adjusted to the Goshen Public Library before she beginning new events or reading programs, she hopes to encourage more people to visit the library. “I’ve been told that the youth, as far as teenagers, isn’t as much here.  She was told that the teens aren’t visiting the library often.  …”I would like to focus on that at some point.” According to the international literary research data group WordsRated, annual library visits across the country have steadily decreased since 2009 from a peak of 1,570 million visits down to a staggering low 730 million visits in 2020. “I want people to know that libraries aren’t just a place to get books…,” noted Guarnieri. She explained that libraries are community spaces where there are electronic resources for audio books, learning languages, and in some cases, learning new business software.

Guarnieri’s favorite genres of books are contemporary. romance, and young adult novels.

Some of her favorite books are Jennifer Niven’s “All the Bright Places”, Erin Stewart’s “The Words We Keep”, Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ “The Inheritance Games”, Rachel Vincent’s “No One Is Alone”, and Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone With the Wind”. However she still hasn’t seen the critically acclaimed 1939 color film adaption of “Gone with the Wind’.

Tabitha Guarnieri can typically be found at the front desk of the Goshen Public Library and people can follow her writing updates on her personal website, tabbyisnotacat.com.