Two from Rockville Centre library honored

Family, friends and co-workers of two recently retired Rockville Centre librarians — Anita LaSpina, the head of Children’s Services and Ruth Black, the principal Library Clerk — honored them at a dinner on Jan. 28 at the Oceanside Knights of Columbus Hall.

LaSpina graduated from Longwood High School, Southampton College and received a Masters in Library Sciences from SUNY College at Geneseo. A longtime resident of Rockville Centre, she and her husband John, now residents of Long Beach have two children and two grandchildren.

Named the 2002 New York Times Librarian of the Year, LaSpina has been an active member of the community, a board member of the Rosa Lee Young Early Childhood Center, and the Rockville Centre Education Foundation as well as a RIF Coordinator, a Family Place Library Coordinator and president of the Children Services Nassau County Library Association. She has also been a CCD teacher, involved in the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and the PTA. An avid bowler, LaSpina is also a kayaker and a knitter.

Black grew up in Rockville Centre and now lives in Oceanside. She attended St. Agnes Cathedral School and Oceanside Middle and High schools. A few months after graduating from high school she was hired as a clerk/typist by the library director. She received the promotion to Principal Library Clerk in July 1983, the same month that she implemented the library’s first automated circulation system.

In August 2002, she was invited to be a member of the ALIS Evaluation Team to define and recommend the new automated system that was adopted by more than 50 libraries in Nassau County.

Before her retirement, Black, who returns as a part-time employee, supervised 16 clerks and six maintenance staff members. She was central to the automated system of the library, ensured the efficient running of the circulation desk, trained clerical personnel and kept library circulation statistics.