Today marks 18 years since I started at the Fanwood Memorial Library. Phew!! 
When I came here my predecessor had been on the job 17 years and I couldn’t imagine such a thing. I remember thinking, if I’m still here 17 years from now just shoot me… and yet, here I am (please don’t shoot me).
So many changes since I started. In looking back through some early annual reports, I’m struck by a number of things, one of which being that I clearly hit the ground running. One indicator is how much grant money I was able to get to help make this library what it has become:
$75,000 in 1998;
$24,000 in 1999;
$5,000 in 2003;
$40,000 in 2005;
another $84,638 in 2005;
$150,000 in 2007
in total, I secured close to $500,000 in grant money for the library in the 10 years between 1998 and 2008… Wow!
Some non-financial highlights include:
** automating the entire library operation,
** recovery from multiple floods, multiple renovations on both levels,
** countless programs and service improvements,
** creating and maintaining multiple websites,
** a wonderful year-long centennial celebration in 2003,
** a wildly successful and ongoing shared-services partnership with the Scotch Plains Public Library that continues to yield great benefits of all sorts to residents and library users in both communities,
** development of the nationally recognized award-winning program Libraries and Autism: We’re Connected which focuses on customer service skills to help libraries and librarians serve those in the ASD community more effectively,
** an ongoing, strong and supportive Friends of the Library group,
** establishing the library’s value as an emergency community gathering place during the 10-day disaster that Hurricane Sandy left in its wake,
and SO MUCH MORE!
We’ve hosted 1,000s of programs, a successful local film festival, a number of Fanwoodstock festivals, concerts, book groups, lectures, children’s programming and crafts, 
and even had our share of famous guests including 
Arnie Duncan (Secretary of Education), Kristi Yamagucci (Gold Medal Olympic Skater), Pat DiNizio (Smithereens), David Magee (Finding Neverland screenwriter), and Ann Hood (author), to mention a few.
More recently we created a new logo, a new website, had a successful ‘Close the Gap’ fundraising campaign, conducted a community survey, implemented Sunday hours, email notifications, and a complete technology upgrade and overhaul, developed a 5-year Strategic Plan and a 3-year Capital Plan and, most significantly, engaged an architect to examine the feasibility of a long overdue building improvement and expansion project.
But, perhaps most significantly, some things have remained constant – a strong focus on personal and intimate customer service, managing to maintain traditional library services while providing and keeping apace with new and emerging technologies, a commitment serve the varied needs of community of Fanwood, being a champion for literacy for residents of all ages, maintaining free and equal access to information and technology for all users, and positioning ourselves as a vital community resource that all Fanwoodians can take pride in.
Needless to say, I’ve been through many significant personal changes and events over the years, but another constant for me is Fanwood. This Borough has been a fantastic community to work for, and I’ll now take the occasion of my 18th anniversary here to say Thank You for the support all these years and I look forward to more shared success in the future.
Dan Weiss
Dan is currently the director of the Fanwood (NJ) Memorial Library. Since he accepted that position in 1997 he has dramatically taken this small suburban library into the 21st century with improvements in facilities, staffing and service. He has served locally, regionally and state wide on many civic and library related committees and boards. In his current position Dan gets to do it all, from overseeing web development, graphics design and renovations, to public relations and fund-raising, all while being the go-to-guy for overflowing toilets and salting the front walk. With his colleague, Meg Kolaya, Dan started the consulting firm Library Connections that developed the nationally recognized and award-winning Libraries and Autism: We’re Connected project. They produced a customer service training video (updated in 2014) and website primarily for library staff to help them serve individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families more effectively. Dan and Meg have given many customer service and autism workshop presentations and keynote addresses, participated in conferences, taught online courses and consulted both locally and around the United States. After hours, Dan continues his varied music career, now with well over 50 years of performing, singing and playing the guitar. He loves all kinds of music with a special fondness for vocalists (Hank Williams, Ray Charles, Billie Holiday and George Jones), bluegrass, honky-tonk, and acoustic roots country. Check www.dannyweiss.com to find out where to hear him next.