The former Greenfield Public Library librarian began working in Amherst earlier this month.
Sharron Sharry is seen at the Greenfield Public Library in 2009.AMHERST – The Jones Library Board of Trustees signed a three-year contract with Sharon A. Sharry who started work as the new Jones Library director earlier this month.
Sharry's starting salary will be $73,209 for the first year as she enters Level 0, the same level as the directors of conservation and development and information technology, Jones Library Board president Sarah McKee wrote in an email.
In August, the board voted to offer Sharry the position. The director search committee in a 3-2 vote had recommended the hiring of Christopher Lindquist from the Westfield Athenaeum.
But that vote failed to produce the majority needed for the appointment. The board then voted unanimously to offer the position to Sharry, who had been the Greenfield Public Library director since February of 2008. Previously, she was director in Sunderland.
Many residents who attended the August board meeting urged trustees to hire Sharry because of her enthusiasm and her ability to inspire.
The Pittsfield native has a master's degree in library science from the State University of New York at Albany, and a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.
McKee in the email said that Sharry will be credited with three weeks annual vacation as of her first day, the same amount of time credited to the fire chief and finance director, who were hired this year.
The contract also covers courses, seminars, conferences, and annual membership dues, with prior approval of the board.
“The Trustees are very pleased with The Jones Library's new leadership,” McKee wrote.
The Friends of the Jones Library will host a dessert reception for Sharry Nov. 1, from 7 - 8 p.m. at The Jones Library. All residents and library users are invited.
The Jones Library has a $2.19 million annual budget, according to the library budget report. Longtime library director Bonnie J. Isman retired Dec. 10 after 30 years. Tevis Kimball, curator of special collections, has been acting director.