Rostraver library has new director
On the front of Naomi Cross’ desk in the Rostraver Public Library in Belle Vernon stands a sign with the inscription, “Trust your intuition.”
The sign was from a drawer in a card catalog at the Sewickley Library, where she was most recently assistant director.
“It was their way of wishing me well,” Cross said.
The sign has followed Cross to her new position as the library director at the Rostraver library, which has been without a leader for a year.
“When I heard the job description, I thought that was a good fit for me,” said Cross. “They were looking for someone with energy to reach out into the community and introduce technology and other facets of the library.”
Cross said her goal is to introduce new technology to the community and teach library patrons how to use it. In addition, she wants to incorporate Science Technology Engineering Math curriculum to the library.
“When I was children’s librarian (at Sewickley Library), I didn’t just do story time,” Cross said. “We provided experiments, and I tried to encourage the kids to reach all of their different levels of awareness of themselves.”
Cross said she also plans to ask the community what they want out of their library.
“If they want training on computers, if they want art exhibits, if they want poetry contests — I want the library to be a more dynamic community center,” Cross said. “When they think, ‘Where can we do this?’, I want them to think of the library as the place to go.”
A 2000 graduate of Yough High School, Cross earned an associate degree in small business administration from Westmoreland County Community College. She earned a bachelor of science in library science degree from Clarion University in 2014 and went right into the master’s program. She will finish her master’s degree in library science from Clarion University next month.
In between, she raised two daughters, Dakota, 12, and Hayden, 9. She has been married for 13 years to her husband, Nathan, who is a teacher.
Cross jokes that her “outside job is taxiing my children around.” She enjoys biking and doing things outside.
Cross said she was initially drawn to library work because of the ability to serve the community.
“I like helping people. The library is a good tool to help people with what they need,” she said. “It’s what everybody needs it to be. It’s not just books. It’s computers, CPR training, robotic training, job service. It’s a tool to better themselves in whatever they want.”