New director at Sparta Public Library

By Rose Sgarlato
SPARTA — Sparta Public Library has a new director.
David Costa was appointed to the post on Oct.1, succeeding Carol Boutlier.
Boutlier retired after 25 years of service, and Costa has been an employee for seven years at the library as system administrator and assistant director.
As system administrator, Costa was largely responsible for bringing forward new technology ideas In addition to all the electronic services offered to patrons. A 3D printer and library app are among some of the more ‘cutting edge ‘ services that Boutlier and Costa implemented the last four years.
And staying on top of technology will continue to be one of Costa’s main goals.
“Right now we are going through a transition in staffing. We are hiring two people. But keeping up with technology is always a priority,” Costa said.
He is particularly fond of his latest baby; a Virtual Reality computer that has a headset and controls allowing “you to be placed within different environments,” Costa explained, such as a human body, Mt.Everest and a museum.
There are even games like the popular Fruit Ninja that appeals to kids. There is only one VR machine and those interested can sign up on the library’s calendar at www.spartalibrary.com.
Along with electronic resources offered such as Ebooks, audio books and movies there are a ton of social activities including movie showings, children’s programs and the very popular wine tasting event in September that hosted 100 attendees.
“The library is community center, information center and entrainment center for the community,” said Costa. “We have something for all ages. There are many people who use our computers as well as people who come in with their own devices and use our WIFI. “
Sparta Library, located at 22 Woodport Road, is also popular with small business people and q clientele that come in to look at newspapers and magazines, Costa added, And also the library has four notaries on hand –a service that people may not be aware of.
Costa is always educating himself by attending forums and looking to other libraries for new concepts. Presently non –fiction items are being transferred from a Dewey decimal system to a browsing system ,similar to a bookstore.
“For example, if you go in the cooking section, you can look by sub category like Italian,” he said
Costa is optimistic about his new role at Sparta Library and looks forward to a successful reign:
“Having been here for seven years, I will continue to provide new technology for patrons and great customer service. We will keep looking for the next item of service that people are going to utilize.”