Anna Lippincott came to Gates Public Library in October 2016 after working at the University of Rochester’s Edward Minor Library and several local public libraries in Monroe County, including Fairport, Greece, and Webster. Her predecessor Greg Benoit hired her as Assistant Director, and their leadership strengths complimented each other quite well.
She quickly added a new depth of community programming that appealed to people who hadn’t been regular users of the Library. GPL Out on the Town was a program series that brought people together to explore the cultural richness of the local Rochester area. She utilized her network between libraries to bring patrons from all over the county to celebrate the women’s suffrage centennial. This included a guided tour of Mount Hope Cemetery featuring the untold stories of Susan B. Anthony and her legacy. Anna also focused on the immediate needs of the community near and far. She organized a successful program on the opioid epidemic that brought together a network of people affected by addiction, including addicts, families, local law enforcement, and professionals supporting them. As a result, Gates to Recovery was launched, providing a safe place for individuals and families affected by addiction to seek help and support at the Town of Gates.
When the Director position became vacant in December 2019, Anna became Interim Director and was appointed Library Director weeks before a pandemic threw all normalcy into chaos. Anna guided staff and patrons through that difficult time when information was scarce, panic was ever present, and there was no hindsight to draw from. She persevered and reinvented the way libraries do business and found ways to serve the community during an unprecedented time, bringing light to the true value of public libraries.
The Town of Gates thanks Anna for sharing her talents here and wishes her well in her future endeavors!
Nan Porter
Principal Library Clerk
Gates Public Library
Posted on July 19, 2022
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