Dr. Carol Cusano recently joined the staff of the New York State Library’s Division of Library Development as a Library Development Specialist. Dr. Cusano will be a member of Library Development’s Outreach, Networking and Regional Advisory Services Team. After an initial period of training and orientation, she will be taking on responsibilities as a regional liaison for multiple school library systems and public library systems.
Dr. Cusano will also provide statewide leadership and program management assistance for the State Library’s exemplary youth services programs, including Ready to Read at New York Libraries and Summer Reading at New York Libraries. During Summer 2014, some 1.9 million young people participated in Summer Reading at New York Libraries at more than 1,000 public libraries and neighborhood branches across the State. Ready to Read at New York Libraries is an initiative of the New York State Education Department designed to improve and expand the availability of high quality public library early learning services in local communities across the State. Through this initiative, families and caregivers will be provided with the knowledge needed to prepare their young children for their school years ahead.
Dr. Cusano has had a varied career which includes experience as a Youth Services Librarian and school librarian in Massachusetts and New York. She has also worked in high-level technology leadership and web development positions both in New York State government and private industry. Most recently, she was an instructor of information literacy and computer technologies at the college level in Pennsylvania.
Dr. Cusano holds a B.S. in Fine Arts from the College of Saint Rose, an M.L.S. from the University at Albany, and a PhD in Information Science and Systems from Nova Southeastern University. She is also certified as a New York State School Library Media Specialist.
The New York State Library has served New Yorkers, state government and researchers from throughout the United States for more than 195 years. In its leadership role, the State Library works in partnership with the State’s 73 library systems to bring cost-effective, high-quality library services to the millions who use New York’s 7,000 libraries. Staff experts from the State Library’s Division of Library Development work with librarians, trustees, school administrators, public officials and local leaders to solve problems and find new ways of supporting the development and improvement of public, school, academic and special libraries across New York State. One of the nation’s leading library development agencies and research libraries, the New York State Library is a program of the Office of Cultural Education in the New York State Education Department.