Lisa Tufano is one of two candidates running to finish out the term of the late Suzanne McDonald on the Board of Library Trustees.

Tufano is a school psychiatrist in the Bridgewater-Raynham school system and has been a Dartmouth resident for the past 12 years.

She said that she has always had a strong connection with libraries that has evolved as she has gotten older, but has never left her.

“The library has always been a huge part of my life,” she said. “As a child, I spent a ton of time there — by my own choice… And then when I graduated high school and college, I actually worked as a circulation clerk at my local library while putting myself through grad school.”

She added that her professional experience also makes her well-equipped to assess the needs of library users of all ages and accessibility levels.

“I think I’m in a really special position because I specialize in special education so I’m working constantly with children who are or are not identified as having a disability,” she said. “So, I think I could bring to the table a real advantage of making sure that the programming and media are accessible to everyone.”

When asked about the greatest challenges facing the libraries in the coming years, Tufano said that it is important to adapt to meet changes in the way the public interacts with the library, especially as Covid has pushed many programs online.

“I know I’m old fashioned and I still like to hold a paper book, I know other people don’t feel the same way,” she said. “So that may be challenging and it may be an area where we kind of need to evolve into a different kind of library situation.”

Tufano noted that these changes could also present an opportunity for libraries to redefine themselves in the eyes of younger readers.

“I really feel like this is such an opportune time to really continue to cultivate that love of learning and reading for generations to come,” she said. “I think in-person libraries are so important and I want to keep it that way.”