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January 13, 2009

Mary Louise Abrams, noted library director

Tuesday, January 13, 2009
BY JAY LEVIN
NorthJersey.com

Mary Louise Abrams, who led the Paramus Public Library through a transformational decade, has died. The Hackensack resident was 74.

Mrs. Abrams was director of the Paramus library from 1989 to 2000, an era during which the popularization of the Internet brought great change to libraries. She was previously assistant library director in Englewood and a reference librarian at the Johnson Public Library in Hackensack.

Well known in the profession, she served as president of the New Jersey Library Association and the Bergen County Cooperative Library System.

"Mary Lou was a mentor to so many librarians entering the profession — holding our hands as she encouraged us to be active members of the NJLA and the library community," said Arlene Sahraie, library services director of the BCCLS.

During Mrs. Abrams' 11 years in Paramus, the library's annual circulation increased by about 60 percent, said Len LoPinto, the library's current director.

Mrs. Abrams arrived in Paramus as the main library on Century Road was being renovated and doubled in size. She saw that project to completion and, in 1993, directed the renovation of the library's Charles E. Reid branch, housed in a former one-room schoolhouse on Midland Avenue. LoPinto said Mrs. Abrams' hallmarks as director were customer service and aggressive pursuit of funding.

In retirement, Mrs. Abrams helped run book discussion groups at the library.

"I cannot even tell you how many book clubs she started and promoted," said her eldest daughter, Sioux Lasley of Fairfax, Va.

Lasley said her mother "probably went through two books a week" and especially liked the historical fiction of Ken Follett and Anne Perry.

Mrs. Abrams, who held a master's degree in library science from Columbia University, grew up in Teaneck and lived there until about 10 years ago.

She died of a stroke on Jan. 4, her daughter said.

Surviving are her husband, Allan Abrams; five children, Sioux Lasley and Lisa Doyle, both of Fairfax, Va.; William Sottosanti of Taiwan, Robert Sottosanti of Walnut Creek, Calif., and Margaret McPhail of San Rafael, Calif.; three stepchildren, Susan Sloan of Paramus, Debbie Lynch of Beachwood, Ohio, and Amy Blakemore of Plymouth, Mich.; seven grandchildren and seven step-grandchildren.

The funeral Mass will be Jan. 24 at 11 a.m. at St. Anastasia's R.C. Church in Teaneck. Arrangements are by Volk Leber Funeral Home.

Posted by tumulty at January 13, 2009 12:53 PM

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