Literacy a passion for Seaford Library duo

The Seaford Public Library may have lost the beloved Miss Cindy, but life goes on, and it goes on with Miss Jackie.

Jacqueline Lopez is the new leader of the Children’s Department, replacing Cindy Schaaf who retired last month after 33 years on the job. Lopez is no stranger to the library, as she has worked there for the past 16 years, serving as an aide, a page, circulation clerk and, for the last decade, as a children’s librarian beside Miss Cindy.

“I learned a lot from her,” she said of her tutelage under Schaaf. “It’s going to take some time to adjust. I’m really excited to take this position.”

Now, in addition to reading stories and running programs, she is in charge of the whole department. That means more administrative work such as ordering books, managing her staff, setting program schedules, and fulfilling requests for the local school librarians. But she doesn’t lose sight of her main responsibility. “You always make time for the kids,” she said. “You’ve got to love kids to be in this department.”

Interacting with the children is what makes her happiest, whether she is reading to them, singing along with them, or leading a craft activity. Recently, she created the next generation of library patrons by visiting the Seaford Manor School to give about 60 children their first library cards.

One of her objectives will be to talk to parents to learn what kinds of programs they want for their children, and add convenience to the process with online registration. Seaford has some of the best attended children’s activities of any library in the area, Lopez said, and she wants to keep that momentum going.

Lopez, a native of Massapequa who now lives in Long Beach, has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in library science from Queens College.

Joining Lopez in the Children’s Department is Sabrina King, who moves into a full-time position. She has been at the library for the last year and a half, working mostly nights. Her expanded role will have her working more days and it gives her the chance to meet even more kids and their parents.

A gymnastics teacher for 14 years, in which she taught Schaaf’s granddaughter, Krug, who describes herself as an advocate for literacy, says she looks forward to working with children on an academic level. “I’ve always been a big fan of literature,” she said, “and I love to read.”

She holds a degree in library and information science from St. John’s University. During her studies, she took several courses in childhood development, and said that will suit her well for her newly expanded role.

Krug said that children’s librarian is a job that allows a lot of creativity. While she has her own ideas she would like to incorporate into the program, Krug, like Lopez, wants to hear from the children and the parents about how the department can best serve their needs.

To run a successful children’s room, both Lopez and Krug say that quality programs must be coupled with a solid book collection. Lopez says she is constantly reading online book reviews, looking at best-seller lists, browsing library journals and listening to parents. She said some of the favorite children’s authors now are Mo Willems and Todd Parr, and popular series include “Curious George,” “Harry Potter,” “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” and anything to do with superheroes.

Krug and Lopez are constantly on the same page, and that is true in their commitment in building on the success of the Miss Cindy era. “We have a lot of ideas,” Krug said. “We feel very enthusiastic.”