Attributing her many successes to education and a determined work ethic, Melanie L. Freese, MLS, has been a dedicated professional in education and library sciences for several decades. In 1967, she received a Bachelor of Education in elementary education with a minor in history from Hofstra University. In 1969, she went on to obtain a Master of Education in elementary education from Hofstra University and became a certified teacher in the state of New York. She completed her education in 1977 with a Master of Library Science from LIU Post and became a certified public librarian in the same year.
Ms. Freese began her career as an elementary school teacher in both Roosevelt and Massapequa, NY, from 1967 to 1971. In 1972, she joined the Swirbul Library at Adelphi University where she served as an assistant to the social work librarian, an assistant to the acquisitions librarian and biographical searcher, a reserve librarian, and a circulation assistant for 11 years. She finally joined Hofstra University in 1984 as a senior catalog librarian. With an expertise in children’s literature, education material, cataloging, and classification, Ms. Freese became the assistant dean and chairwoman of technical services at Hofstra’s Joan and Donald E. Axinn Library in 1999.
As a dedicated professional, Ms. Freese has presented training workshops to faculty and staff in both technical and public services. She continuously shares her knowledge with her peers and is currently mentoring a colleague who is learning to catalog materials for the music library at Hofstra University. In addition to her primary professional positions,
Ms. Freese also offered her expertise throughout her community. In 1975, she founded the library at St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Baldwin, NY, where she also served as a Sunday school teacher, librarian, and lector. In 1993, she was most proud to have established a library for the residents of the Wayside Home School for Girls. She was also active with the academic and special libraries division of the Nassau County Library Association and the Long Island Center for Business and Professional Women throughout her career. In her spare time outside of work, Ms. Freese enjoys knitting, needlework, crocheting, and playing the piano. Looking toward the future, she plans to retire soon.
Contact Ms. Freese: