Submitted by Emily Mitchell
I am writing in support of Sarita Pillai’s candidacy for Library Trustee in the coming Town Election on March 11.
I have known Sarita for about four years, as a fellow member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. At St. Paul’s, Sarita has been a dependable and skilled leader in our Christian education program, as well as the chair of the Fellowship Committee, welcoming new families to the parish and helping long-time members deepen their relationships within the church.
Sarita is approachable, thoughtful, and deliberate; she cares deeply about accessibility and accountability. Her professional experience as a project manager for STEM-based (science, technology, education, and math) research with K-12 students gives her insights into the needs of children and young adults—both vital and growing constituencies of the Bedford Free Public Library. Her past experience in software and technology would also be an asset to the trustees, as technology becomes ever more important to the library for both infrastructure and patron services. Sarita is a regular library user and a firm believer in the importance of libraries in public and civic education.
As a parent of young children and a first-generation immigrant, Sarita would bring a unique perspective to the board, helping the trustees ensure that the BFPL serves the needs of all its patrons. Collection development, programming, hours of operation, and patron services all depend on a deep understanding of the library community as a whole. A board that reflects the diversity of its patrons is better equipped to support the library staff in fulfilling its mission to “provide free and open access to information, knowledge, and the pursuit of ideas in an environment that is comfortable and welcoming to patrons of all ages, abilities, and cultures within and beyond its walls.”
We are fortunate in Bedford to have qualified candidates for all open positions in Town government. I hope you’ll join me in supporting Sarita Pillai for Library Trustee at the polls on March 11.
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