Occupation: I'm retired from academia and now happily occupied volunteering with the Friends of the C.H. Booth Library.

Family: My husband is Greg Dworkin, sons Larry and Stephen Dworkin, daughter-in-law Tina Yang, and grandson Will.

Pets: Abby is our rescue dog with personality. We had tropical fish for a while, but gave up.

How long have you lived in Newtown? We moved here in 1989.

What do you like to do in your free time? Right now, I’m focused on the upcoming annual summer book sale, taking place July 8-12 at the Reed Intermediate School, but to relax I love to pick up a good book, putter in the yard, do jigsaw puzzles, take walks, be with family and friends.

What is your favorite book? If I have to choose, The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco. It checks all the boxes for me: a well-written and intriguing mystery with psychological and philosophical depth set in the Middle Ages.

What is your favorite travel destination? For R&R, Acadia National Park in Maine. Otherwise, someplace new and exciting.

What is the best part about Newtown? The scale. It’s small enough that one can have a positive influence and get to know a cross-section of amazing people, all in a beautiful setting. Yet, big enough to be interesting and allow for diversity.

What organizations are you part of in Newtown? The Friends of the C.H. Booth Library as book sale chairperson and board member, plus the Newtown Choral Society.

Who has been the greatest influence in your life? Definitely my husband. He sees the world through a slightly different lens and that’s broadened my view, too.

If you could spend the day with one person, who would you choose and why? As an “older” grandparent, I wish I could spend a day with our new grandson in the far future. Who will he be as a full-fledged adult?

Who is your favorite musical artist? It depends on the genre. Jazz? Ella Fitzgerald. Opera? Renee Fleming. Classic? Mozart. American songbook? Gershwin. Pop? Sting, Crosby Stills and Nash, any artists that I can “accompany.”

What is the greatest piece of advice you have ever been given? By my mother: “Wenn schon, denn schon.” Broadly speaking, “If something is worth doing, it’s worth doing right.”

What is something you cannot live without? A cup of freshly brewed coffee in the morning, The New York Times, dark chocolate, books, family and friends, the outdoors.

What is your proudest accomplishment? Accomplishment without joy is hollow. When I was in academia, it was measured in diplomas, awards, titles, but for me the joy lay in engaging students. Now, it’s overseeing a fundraiser that makes our volunteers proud and underwrites the Friends’ support for materials acquisition, programs, and other services that make Booth Library patrons, especially young new-readers, happy.