All Around Pennsauken

By Frank Sinatra, AAP Editor

Last month, Tanya Finney Estrada was announced as the new director of the Pennsauken Free Public Library. Replacing former director John Patane, who retired in September of last year, Finney Estrada is excited to be part of Pennsauken’s “cornerstone of the community.”

Finney Estrada

“As a director of an independent library, you have so much to offer and an opportunity to make a change in the community,” explains Finney Estrada. “A library means so much. One thing about libraries; they’re one of those institutions that changes with time. I think of the library as a community education center. It’s a focal point of the community. It’s a place where people come together and meet; a place of resources. I have seen libraries grow and become much more.”

Finney Estrada has over two decades of experience in both academic and public libraries, with a strong background in technology. She has an undergraduate degree in Information Systems and Technology and a master’s in Information and Library Science, both from Drexel University. Tanya had previously served as director at the Waterford Township Public Library for six years; was the longtime technology coordinator of the Cheltenham Township Library System; and also worked in libraries at Thomas Jefferson University, Drexel University, and the American College of Financial Services in Bryn Mawr. She is part of the New Jersey Library Association, the oldest and largest library organization in the state; and serves on the executive board of LibraryLinkNJ, a non-profit consisting of multi-type libraries and library-related agencies located in the 21 counties of New Jersey.

“It was the draw of the technology mixed in with the information,” says Finney Estrada, when discussing what drew her to the important work libraries provide. “I’m interested about how people access and use information. It’s my passion.”

“Libraries provide more than just material,” adds Tanya, who is looking to enhance the Pennsauken Free Public Library’s technology offerings. “We have been bridging the digital divide for years. We’re an education center in every form. Libraries have to keep growing.”

During the coming weeks, Tanya looks forward to meeting patrons and fully introducing herself to Pennsauken.

“I’m very excited. Coming here brings new challenges. I’m really anxious to know the community. I don’t like to sit still. I plan on going about meeting different groups and doing a lot of outreach. We have to be seen. As a director, I don’t think hiding away in my office does me any good. Libraries serve our communities; it’s all about what we can offer residents. I’m anxious to see what the Pennsauken community needs.”