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Published on: 10/2/2002
Last Visited: 10/2/2002
Tom Dydyk wrote the book on recruiting big-name authors to the Gifford Lecture Series
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Tom Dydyk, executive director of the Friends of the Central Library and the Rosamond Gifford Lecture Series, stands on a downtown Syracuse sidewalk in 90-degree heat, holding a palm frond over a table.The frond is meant to shade a young, sexy "fille" sitting outside the French restaurant L'Adour and skimming through a copy of Gourmet.Dydyk, wearing a baseball cap and Kelly green golf shirt, appears happy to pitch in as an on-the-spot prop man.
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A few weeks later, wearing his normal workday attire of suit and tie, Dydyk sits behind the desk at his office, located on the fifth floor in the main branch of the Onondaga County Public Library, 447 S. Salina St. He carries on an animated phone conversation with a subscriber who wants to turn in two tickets for three ducats in the same section."I don't have three tickets together," explains Dydyk in his most diplomatic tone.At the same time, his cell phone rings."Oh, hello, how are you?"he says pleasantly to an FOCL board member.Without either callers' knowledge, the in-control Dydyk carries on both conversations with aplomb, then hangs up both phones to continue an office interview, with apologies for the interruption.
Four years ago, Dydyk, 52, took the helm of the fledgling Gifford Lecture Series, which grew too big for volunteers and a part-time employee to manage.Most company heads have secretaries take their calls and answer simple questions, so the top gun can run the business.But Dydyk is a one-man band, the only paid employee of the nonprofit FOCL.Since he came on board, he's gamely tackled everything, but probably nothing more daunting than negotiating the contracts for the six big-name authors who come to Syracuse for the lecture series, which runs from October to May, with January and February off for potentially bad weather. (See sidebar for this year's lineup.)The photo shoot is just one of the entries in Dydyk's schedule for late summer and early fall, his busiest time of the year.While trying to get the 2002-'03 lecture series off the ground, mailing tickets to the 1,600 subscribers and overseeing several fund-raisers prior to Reichl's appearance, he is also working on another annual benefit, "Vini et Libri (Wine and Books)," immediately preceding the Nov. 14 lecture by National Public Radio personality Terry Gross.In between, Dydyk will assemble a bus trip for FOCL supporters headed for the National Book Awards in Manhattan on Nov. 19 and 20.
Book 'Em
Dydyk also stays busy following up on the Author Selection Committee's wish list of authors for 2003-'04.
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Each member compiles a list of personal favorite authors, which the committee weans to 10 names that Dydyk then begins researching.
Criteria for a successful lineup begins with well-known authors who write both fiction and nonfiction, including biography and topics such as history or medicine.
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Above all, Dydyk insists on a balanced and interesting series; the lineup for the 2003-'04 season will be announced in May.
That's why he beats the bushes for any opportunity to hear potential guest-authors; a favorite is the annual May Book Expo America, held alternate years in New York City, Chicago or Los Angeles."This is an important event for hearing authors who are about to launch a new book campaign," says Dydyk."I may hear about 40 authors' lectures while I am there."
Since the Gifford Lecture Series' 1995 founding, an impressive list of authors has graced the Crouse-Hinds stage, each imparting his or her own story with knowledge, humor and poignancy.
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Inspired by Mayes' work, local artist Alex Carroll approached Dydyk with an idea to create a silk scarf hand-painted with a Tuscan scene to present to the author.
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"Mayes made a lot of money for us," Dydyk says.
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Other independent lecture series may be larger--the Philadelphia Library's series features 10 authors and the Portland-Seattle series has 2,800 subscribers--but it is to the credit of Dydyk and the FOCL board that the Gifford Series has grown so rapidly.
Dydyk also cites the importance of being open to new ideas."I think the original idea was to make it a purely literary series as the guiding principle, but now the board is somewhat open to including someone in journalism or radio," he notes."It was not an easy task to convince them to include a radio personality."
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Dydyk cites a survey of lecture-goers who were asked what they read and listen to, apart from books.The New York Times, The New Yorker and NPR were the top three, making Gross an obvious choice for the series.
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Dydyk and the board have worked in many creative ways to raise funds for the library.The budget for the lecture series is $70,000, and that's for authors' fees alone.But with fees escalating every year, that amount doesn't go far enough.
Sponsors help bridge the gap."We are very grateful for our sponsors who have been with us since day one," notes Dydyk."Niagara Mohawk, M&T Bank, Time Warner Cable, HSBC Bank and Unity Mutual Life Insurance Co. have all been very generous."
Sponsors are not the only source of funds.Everyone is invited to join FOCL with a contribution in any amount, and folks who pay a set amount can join the Literary Circle or Patrons levels for seating in a reserved section at the front of the auditorium.
The current fund-raiser is "Dining Around With Ruth," in advance of Reichl's visit.
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"We expect to raise about $10,000 from this communal event," says Dydyk.
The Write Stuff
While the many Gifford Series sponsors are generous with their pocketbook, Dydyk is generous with his time and expertise: His schedule does not operate on a 40-hour week.In addition to responsibilities in overseeing every aspect of running the series, Dydyk also sits on several boards, including the YMCA's Arts Board and Downtown Writers' Center, an organization that teaches writing to clients of all ages.He also serves on the Central New York chapter of the American Fund Raising Professionals and Leadership Greater Syracuse, and has been head of the government division for United Way and Girls, Inc.
Dydyk's love of books came early and was fueled by frequent visits to the library."When I was very young, my mother received a phone call from the librarian, questioning the fact that I checked out 14 books as part of the library's summer-reading program," he remembers."Since they had to be returned in two weeks, she questioned that I would be able to read them all.My mother, who always encouraged me to read, assured her that the books would all be read and returned in time.This was the beginning of my lifelong passion for the written word."
Today, Dydyk would like to have more time to read, and has always expressed an interest in history and biographies.But during the past two years he has added other topics to his reading list.After an angioplasty last year plus a recent bout with pneumonia and pleurisy, Dydyk has expanded his reading to cookbooks, especially those on heart-healthy cooking.
Dydyk grew up in Eastwood, and graduated from Henninger High School.He earned his bachelor's degree in political science from SUNY Oswego and a master's in political science and business management from SU.After graduation he worked for 21/2 years for the county Department of Social Services.
"My interest in fund-raising began when I worked for the United Way, where I was assistant comptroller for three years," he says.He served as president of the Young Republicans in 1980, a position that served him well.When the Republicans took control of the County Legislature in 1980, Dydyk was appointed to a position as legislative analyst, working with county budgets and interpreting budget impact on certain pieces of legislation, a position he held for 18 years.
But Dydyk felt it was time to move on; when he heard of the FOCL executive director opening, his experience in civic affairs plus a solid business background convinced him he would be qualified for the job he has held since 1998.Dydyk is considered a management employee of the Onondaga County Public Library, yet the FOCL reimburses the library for his salary.
The FOCL board has been pleased with Dydyk's dedication, creativity and obvious love of his job, according to board president Woyslaw."Ticket sales look good, fund-raising has been successful," she says."We have a really good executive director."
But Dydyk's expertise has also won the admiration of top literary agents.
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"I love working with Tom," he says from his office in Petaluma, Calif. "He has good instincts of how to shape a program to feed intellectual minds and still make money for the library.He is also very good with authors who are used to speaking for a gr
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