Board of Library Trustees
Board of Library Trustees
The Board of Library Trustees is the chief policy making entity for the Library and has the powers and duties set forth in Sections 3-7 and 6-7 of the Town Charter and Chapter 61 of the General Bylaws.
Specific roles and responsibilities for the Board of Library Trustees, the Library Director, the Town Manager, and Library Staff can be found here: https://dedhamlibrary.com/roles-and-responsibilities/
The Board of Library Trustees can be reached at librarytrustees@dedham-ma.gov.
Members of the Board of Library Trustees
Shirin Baradaran (Chair)
Shirin is a relative newcomer to the Dedham community having moved here in 2018. Shirin has worked as an attorney in Boston since graduating from the University of Virginia School of Law. Prior to becoming an attorney, Shirin worked as a consultant for a consulting firm in Chicago and graduated from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business with degrees in Business Economics and Public Policy Analysis.
Supportive library communities and their resources have played a huge role in every stage of Shirin’s life by providing a safe space to learn and grow as a kid, valuable test prep materials and quiet places to study as a teen, access to advanced research tools and databases as an adult, and a place where she can just relax and unwind after a hard day at work.
Tom Turner (Vice Chair)
Tom has lived in Dedham since 2000 and currently resides on Richards Street with his wife, two sons, and a chocolate Labrador. Growing up in Yorkshire (UK), Tom’s parents owned a bookshop in the town that is portrayed in the PBS series All Creatures Great and Small, so he has been around books all his life.
After graduating from university with a degree in English Literature and Spanish, Tom became a high school teacher in New Hampshire before moving to MA to pursue his wife. Tom retired in January 2020 after 20+ years as a software executive and CEO in Boston’s cyber security community. He sits on the Board of Three Squares New England and is also the chair of the Dedham COVID-19 Relief Fundraising committee.
Annette Raphel (Secretary)
Annette has been a Friend of the Library and, during her tenure, she helped with many of the book sales that have raised money for the library’s programs, equipment and furnishings. Annette has retired from heading both The School at Columbia University and Belmont Day School. She has also worked as a principal at The Shady Hill School and Milton Academy where it was clear that the libraries controlled the heartbeat of the schools. She has a B.S. in Education from Northeastern and a C.A.S from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. Annette is a frequent and appreciative patron of the library.
Brian Keaney
Brian is a mostly life-long resident of the town, having lived for times in Washington, D.C. and Honolulu, but he always comes back to Dedham. After graduating from Dedham High School he earned a bachelor’s degree from The Catholic University of America and then a Master’s Degree from Harvard University. Brian works for a Cambridge-, Zurich-, and Tokyo-based pharmaceutical company where he writes about emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and virtual reality.
As a writer, Brian appreciates the power of the written word and vast access to knowledge libraries afford. This not only includes books and databases, but the tools, games, science equipment, and other objects that are lent out, as well as the programming offered.
Crystal Power
Crystal is a life-long resident of Dedham and graduate of Dedham Public Schools. After earning degrees in English, Psychology, and Elementary Education, she worked as a third-grade teacher for eight years. Her work in graduate programs for Special Education and English Language Learning helped to build the foundation for her current work as an Instructional Coach and Curriculum Developer for elementary history and social studies.
Her grandmother instilled a love for poetry and storytelling early on, and some of the treasured texts in her library include the poetry of Wilfred Owen and other World War II poets to Shakespeare’s Complete Works.