By Ginny Raue
When Ricardo Pino altered his career path, deciding to study library science, he was stepping into some very old shoes, or more likely, sandals. The earliest known librarian, or "Tabl Keeper," worked in the royal palace in Ur (modern-day Iraq) around 2000 BC. He surely labored without the benefit of the Dewey Decimal System.
Private libraries in America arose in colonial times, often belonging to doctors, churches and colleges. The first "social library" was Benjamin Franklin’s brain child, around 1730. But you had to buy stock in the Library Company of Philadelphia to borrow books. The first "circulating library" in 1762 rented books to readers.
Fast forward to March 2015. Pino is named as the new West Milford Library director. He will have the pleasure (and probably a few of the headaches) of being at the wheel as the new library, to be located adjacent to town hall, becomes a reality.
Pino, 42, was born and raised in the Bronx and currently resides in Montclair. He has a 12-year-old stepdaughter and he and Sylvana are the parents of an 18-month-old daughter.
Pino attended Trinity High School in Manhattan and Bowdoin College in Maine, graduating in 1994 with a bachelor of arts degree in history and Spanish.
Following his college years, he worked at various jobs, including audio/visual technology and recruitment. It was his "time in the wilderness." Years passed and he realized that his work was not fulfilling.
“I have one of those minds that likes to stay busy,” he said.
He took a few months off to plan his future and, while conversing with his daughter about being fearless and navigating the world, he realized he was talking to himself as well. And so he became a student again, this time at Rutgers University, graduating with a master’s degree in library science and information in 2012.
His career in the public library system, the "people’s university," took off. Before coming to West Milford, Pino was a reference librarian and a branch manager in Passaic libraries.
He describes his new responsibilities as being three-fold: a fiscal responsibility while working closely with the Library Board of Trustees, providing leadership and direction to the staff and being cognizant of the public’s interests.
“We exist because the public decided we need a library," Pino said. "We have to provide for their intellectual, cultural and entertainment needs.”
Pino believes that a library should be viewed as a gateway to the world as well as function as a municipal entity.
“We provide a touchstone that a shared community still exists. We are a guide to the public in a world that’s getting bigger and bigger and bombarding us with information,” he said.
He defined technology and internet searches as tools, but you have to know how to use them.
“We try to make sure people are getting the best quality information,” he said. A Google search can give you a million hits, but you may not be reaching the best sources.
“Library usage has gone up over the last few years. Librarians understand the internet is a tool; it’s not us versus technology.”
Patrons run the gamut from babies being read to in the children’s room to teens and adults utilizing the computers and free Wi-Fi to seniors enjoying the large print section.
“There’s always a constant flow, it’s not a club for the select few. Some come on a regular basis but we are working on outreach.”
However, there are challenges to overcome, the building’s size, for one.
The library offers a wide range of programs and Pino is impressed at how well the staff manages, given the size limitations.
The new building’s ground breaking date is in the offing. Once the specs from the architect and engineers are in, it will go out to bid.
“We will not dramatically expand right away as we have to work within our means,” he said.
But the hope is to expand collections and the number of computers, add meeting spaces and quiet study rooms, he said.
The future is promising for the new library and Pino looks forward to seeing it come to fruition.
Ironically, Pino is not an avid reader at this time in his life. As a child, with Spanish as his first language, the library helped him to learn English. Each week he checked out the limit - 13 books - and poured through them.
His passion now is movies: science fiction, dramas and suspense. Being a dad has also immersed him in children’s movies, a plus when dealing with the younger set at work.
He’s not into cooking, saying he is “an appreciator of the kitchen, but not a practitioner of the culinary arts.” Spoken like a learned librarian.
One favorite meal is his mom’s Caribbean-style breaded steak but, since she is more of a pinch of this, dash of that type cook, he sent in an on-line recipe for the dish.