Diane Podell

College of New York, Diane raised four children, then went back to

school and earned her Master of Library Science degree from Queens

College and a Certificate of Advanced Study from LIU’s Palmer School;

she taught library science students at both schools in the 1980s. In

1978 she joined the staff of the library of C.W. Post College, Long Island

University, starting in the periodicals department. She continued

working at Post until she retired as Professor Emerita in 2007, after

which she remained part-time for several years. Her book Thematic

Atlases for Public, Academic, and High School Libraries was published in

1994.

Diane was fiercely dedicated to helping people in need. She was

particularly dedicated to the defense of First Amendment rights and to

the role of libraries in maintaining a fairness-based society. For many

years she was active in the Nassau County Library Association and the

Long Island Coalition Against Censorship.

Diane will be missed by her children, Janet Podell, Susan Mason, David

Podell, and Roger Podell; her grandchildren Raf, Miriam, and Hannah

Anzovin, Emily and Seth Mason, and Kevin and Kelly Podell; and one

great-grandchild–all library people. She welcomed into her family her

in-law children: the late Steve Anzovin, Steven Mason, and Sheri Podell.

Her strong work ethic and commitment to family came from her

parents, Louis and Muriel Kopperman, to whom she was devoted. She

will also be missed by her lifelong friends. Donations in her memory

may be sent to MassBay Community College

https://www.massbay.edu/give or to an organization that defends First

Amendment rights.