Working part-time in the library as an undergraduate student, Lucille M. Rosa decided to pursue the field after she enjoyed it so much. She began her professional career teaching at St. Bernadette’s Elementary School in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1970, remaining in this role for two years before cataloging at the Rhode Island Historical Society in Providence from 1976 to 1980. She then served as a rare book cataloger at Brown University’s John Carter Brown Library from 1980 to 1984 and catalog librarian at Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, from 1984 to 1986, later becoming the head of cataloging at the State Library of Massachusetts from 1986 to 1988. Transferring as the associate head of cataloging at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for one year, Ms. Rosa then served as the chief of cataloging at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, for one year, later serving as head of the Technological Services Division from 1990 to 2013. She currently serves as a cataloger at the Freetown Historical Society in Assonet, Massachusetts, since 2015, as well as a bookseller at Assonet Books through Amazon since 2013.
Prior to the start of her career, Ms. Rosa pursued a formal education at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, earning a Bachelor of Arts in history in 1970 and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1975. She then attended the University of Rhode Island, where she attained a Master of Library Science in 1980. Highly active in her local community, Ms. Rosa has served the Board of Library Trustees and the Freetown Lions Club in numerous capacities. She also serves on the board of directors for the Massachusetts Library Trustees Association since 2012. Previously, she has maintained involvement with the American Library Association and the Association of College and Research Libraries.
In light of her accomplishments, Ms. Rosa received the Helen Keller Award from the Freetown Lions Club and the Round Table Distinguished Service Award from the American Library Association of Federal and Armed Services Libraries in 2011. Additionally, she was selected for inclusion in the 65th through 70th editions of Who’s Who in America. Moving forward, Ms. Rosa will be at the Freetown Historical Society as their librarian. She has learned that libraries serve a purpose and will always be relevant wherever people need information.
Robert E. Schnare has been a mentor and influence on Ms. Rosa’s career. He understood libraries and how they had to change; he was a constant encouragement and guide along the way. In recent years, she has seen automation become more prevalent. Information, as a result, has become more accessible to the public.