About Us
OUR MISSION
The Warren Public Library is dedicated to supporting lifelong learning and access to information, knowledge and ideas.
The Warren Public Library, Inc. is a certified 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Library Staff
Louise J. Manteuffel
Director
Mary Borrelli
Assistant
Board of Directors
Jane Manley
Chairman
Jane Manley is a newly retired elementary art teacher, having taught for 21 years in the neighboring Region 12 school district. Jane received her MA in Elementary Education from the University of Bridgeport and her BS in Art Education from Southern Connecticut State University. She has served on the Warren Public Library board, off and on, for over 20 years, and is currently serving as its Chairman. Jane is looking forward to strengthening the library’s connections with its community. Having grown up in Warren and living here with her husband, Joe, raising their two boys, Jane is acutely aware of the pivotal role that the Library plays in the Warren community and intends to use her interests and expertise to help strengthen its purpose. In her free time, Jane loves reading historical fiction, cycling area bike trails, hiking local preserves, and plein air painting.
Karen Hylwa
Karen Hylwa has an eclectic career history. After earning a BA in English with a minor concentration in Music from Southern Connecticut State University, Karen worked as a Senior Casualty Adjustor at Allstate Insurance Company, as the Administrative Manager of a large, local Jewish organization, and as a Financial Assistant for a private investment partnership. She came to live in Warren with her husband, Bob Hylwa, in 1989 by a serendipitous path. While working at Allstate she was investigating a fatal accident in Litchfield and the two witnesses listed on the police report resided in a tiny town she and her colleagues had never heard of…Warren, CT. After meeting with the two witnesses and taking their statements she drove around this bucolic area in her company car and after seeing the Town beach with its magnificent view, she knew Warren was where she and Bob would raise their two children. Karen is never without a book or two and enjoys reading fiction, political biographies, and commentary-type books about various religions. She has always felt that community service is an obligation and a privilege and has been instrumental in establishing the library’s continuous gently used book sale. In her precious spare time since retiring in the Spring of 2023, you can find Karen kayaking on the lake, swimming, hiking in White Memorial, and playing her piano.
Liz Brenner
Secretary
Liz Brenner has been a Warren resident for 30 years, growing up in nearby New Milford. After graduating from UCONN with a B.A. in Communications, Liz worked at White Flower Farm for 10 years before taking a career break to stay home with her two daughters. She returned to work full-time as a public school secretary, and is currently an administrative assistant in student services. Liz served on the board of directors for Girl Scouts and was a Girl Scout leader for both of her daughter’s troops. She likes to stay active with walking, yoga, and all things Peloton, in addition to reading (of course!). Liz believes in the value of public libraries as a vital community resource, keeping people connected to literature, information, and each other!
Joanne Tiedmann
Treasurer
Joanne Tiedmann is retired after serving the Town of Warren for 24 years, first as tax collector then as town clerk. She received a BS in Forestry from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and went on to work in the northern Sierra Nevada in California. Her New England roots called her back and she has lived in the NW Corner ever since. Born and raised on Cape Cod she heads to the beach as often as possible. Joanne has served as treasurer to the Warren Democratic Town Committee as well as the Warren Congregational Church, and her current focus is serving the library in that capacity. When she’s not reading, she spends her spare time cooking, helping on the small farm that she runs with her husband, growing anything she can in her garden, and hitting the bike trail. Having raised her two children in Warren with the help of the library, Joanne is committed to seeing it grow and thrive.
Marylyn Hendricks
Marylyn Hendricks has been a library member since 1968 when she and her husband built their house here. At that time, the library was a single room in the old town hall. Her husband, Larry, was a designer craftsman and they had three children. Marylyn graduated from Montclair State University (NJ) in 1961. In 1982 she received her MS degree from Western Connecticut College. She taught Art for 23 years. Most of that time was at Hill and Plain School in New Milford. In the past, Marylyn enjoyed sailing and swimming in Lake Waramaug, and sailing and snorkeling in the Bahamas. She also was a Literacy Volunteer for 6 years. Classes were held at the Warren Library. Marylyn is an avid reader, plays table tennis, and teaches Mah-Jongg. She’s been on the Library Board since 2003 and has managed the used book sale for many years. Since books have always been a constant part of her life, she likes to share them with others.
Ted Pecora
Teddy Pecora has held two careers in his lifetime. After graduating from Pace University-Pleasantville in 1976 with a BA in Psychology/Human Relations and a minor in English Literature he took an entry-level job in advertising print production at House Beautiful Magazine. Spending twenty-five years in direct marketing and advertising at top agencies, Ogilvy and Mather Direct, Wunderman Worldwide, and McCann Direct he retired as an SVP-Traffic/Production just after 9/11. Having always wanted to teach he went back to CUNY@Queens College and earned an MAT in Elementary Education with a literacy/Children’s Literature concentration. During his twenty-one-year tenure as a teacher, he has taught grades K-6, 1st grade being his favorite grade. Teddy also holds an MSED in School Building Supervision/Administration from Saint Johns University. He also holds certificates in Lucy Calkins reader/writers’ workshop from Teachers College Columbia University as well as a Gifted and Talented certificate from the University of Connecticut Neag School of Education. He retired from teaching in 2022. Teddy has lived in Warren for 15 years and enjoys cooking, gardening, and biking around Lake Waramaug. He is an avid book reader of good fiction.
Katherine Schultheis
Vice-Chairman
Katherine Schultheis and her husband David Hanser have been part-time residents of Warren since 1990. In 2020 she retired after a 30-year career as Managing Director of Local Corporate and Sponsorship Sales at WNET – New York’s flagship PBS station. Prior to her work at WNET, Katherine had a career in Social Work having earned a BSW and MSW from Adelphi University on Long Island. Her social work career included community-based services as well as inpatient services at Stony Brook University Hospital. Her lifelong commitment to non-profit organizations and experience in fundraising and marketing have helped Warren Public Library continue to provide free, educational and cultural resources and will support our new emphasis on community engagement with all ages in the future.
Leah Smith
Leah Smith grew up in Washington, CT, and has lived in Warren for 23 years with her husband, Kevin, and their two sons. She has served on the Warren Park and Recreation Commission and is excited to join the Warren Public Library board. Leah received her BS in Elementary Education and her MS in Reading from Western Connecticut State University. She earned her 6th year degree in Educational Leadership from Southern Connecticut State University. Leah’s entire teaching career has been spent between the Region 6 and Litchfield Public Schools. She is thrilled to return to teaching at Warren School in the 2024-25 school year. Leah looks forward to working with the library to enhance programming for the district’s student population. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, knitting, and reading.
David Reuman
David Reuman is a retired faculty member from the Psychology Department at Trinity College in Hartford, CT. He received his BA from Hampshire College (Amherst, MA) and his PhD in Psychology from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor. His family roots in Connecticut go back to the American Revolution.
David sees himself as a lifelong learner, and so he is dedicated to a core part of the mission of the Warren Public Library. He began “learning to read”, despite the fact that his father often fell asleep reading to David and his siblings at the end of the day. This experience grounded him, when he became a parent and read to his daughters, and later, when he began reading to his grandchildren. He moved on to “reading to learn” while growing up in a rural community in Maine and wanting to learn more about history and possible worlds beyond what he saw in his immediate experience. He began to understand the importance of access to information, knowledge, and ideas, another core part of the mission of the Warren Public Library. This mindset proved very useful when he became a teacher for bright and motivated undergraduates. Helping young adults read to learn, and to think critically about what they were learning, sharpened his own skills for reading and learning. Now, in retirement, he is re-discovering “reading for pleasure”.