Lewes Public Library holds honors celebration
Lewes Public Library board and staff members were joined by local officials and community members for a celebration Oct. 29 thanking Lea Rosell, former director, for her service to the community; honoring Hugh Leahy, former board of commissioners president, for his distinguished tenure on the board; and welcoming new Director Jill DiPaolo to the library.
Sen. Russ Huxtable, D-Lewes; Rep. Stell Parker Selby, D-Milton; County Councilman Mark Schaeffer; and Lewes City Councilwoman Carolyn Jones were all in attendance.
The event began with Candace Vessella, Friends of the Lewes Public Library president, describing Rosell’s long-standing affiliation and accomplishments during her 13-year tenure at the Lewes library. Rosell joined the library in 2010 as a circulation assistant and became teen services librarian after receiving her master of library and information science degree from the University of Pittsburgh. In 2018, she took on the challenging role of director and was responsible for initiating many of the remarkable programs enjoyed by library patrons today.
In addition to her innovative approach to making the library accessible to patrons and providing public services during the pandemic, Rosell accomplished a long-standing professional goal in 2021. At her instigation, and in coordination with Cape Henlopen School District, every student in the district was issued a digital library card in June 2021, allowing them to connect with library resources across the state. Rosell now serves as director at the Milford Public Library.
Beckie Healey, former library board president and current trustee, provided laudatory remarks about Leahy’s invaluable contributions to the library. In 2013, he joined the library board of commissioners as treasurer, in the midst of the new library building project’s design phase. Following a career in banking, Leahy was well suited for the role. He succeeded Healey as the board president in 2016.
Leahy has always been a stabilizing rudder when the library faced stormy waters. During challenging times, he was known for his calm approach, often saying, “Let’s step back and take a look at this from a different angle.” Healey pointed out that while Leahy is no longer a board member, due to the 10-year term limitation per Delaware code, his new trustee emeritus status means his involvement with and support of the library are not over. In fact, Leahy continues to chair committees, generously supports the needs of the library and provides corporate knowledge.
Chanta Howard-Wilkinson, library board of commissioners president, welcomed Jill DiPaolo back to the Lewes Public Library in her new role as director. DiPaolo had previously served as adult education and circulation services librarian in Lewes before moving on to leadership roles in outreach and technology services at the Sussex County Department of Libraries and directorships at the Selbyville and Milton libraries.
DiPaolo joined the Lewes Public Library as director in September; she is a fierce advocate for and strong supporter of libraries and literary initiatives across the state. She approaches her role with passion, warmth and expertise following 20 years of diverse library service in the Delaware library system.
