Costagliola, who was hired in large part due to her extensive library services experience, earned respect and affection for her energy and creativity at the Hull Public Library during the past two-and-a-half years.
“I wasn’t looking to leave Hull,” she told The Hull Times. “I’ve told so many people that I’m the luckiest librarian on the South Shore.”
Leaving Hull “has zero to do with anything that happened here,” she said. “I have been so happy in my role. We have the best staff, and I’ve enjoyed making improvements to this charming building with their help.”
She explained that she has long admired the Sandwich library.
“When I was in my mid-20s, I attended a history roundtable for local librarians at the Sandwich library and really liked it,” she recalled. “I thought to myself at that time, ‘I hope I get to work here sometime.’”
Yet when she realized the director position was open, she hesitated to apply because she was so content in her current role. A comment by her older sister changed her mind.
“She was teasing me, saying, “You’re not going to apply when you’ve had a crush on that library for so long?”
That remark spurred Costagliola to apply for the job. “I realized that this was the chance of a lifetime to fulfill that dream.”
Costagliola will miss Hull’s library staff and patrons the most.
“I have received so many compliments on the work I’ve done here, but I couldn’t have done any of it without the support of the staff and also the DPW – who assisted me when needed – the Hull Garden Club, and others,” she said.
Costagliola and other library staff were highly praised for their mega-efforts to maintain the library’s vibrancy during the pandemic prior to its reopening in June 2021, tirelessly sprucing up and decorating the Children’s Room and other parts of the library during its temporary closure, including thoroughly weeding out the adult non-fiction collection and improving that space.
Costagliola, who was hired in large part due to her extensive experience in library services -- including her role as adult services librarian at the Thomas Crane Public Library in Quincy for 10 years – replaced longtime library director Daniel Johnson.
Costagliola’s last day is today, Aug. 24, when staff planned to honor her dedication and service to the town and the library at a reception. She starts her new job Sept. 12.
“Over the past two months since I announced I was leaving, there have been a whole bunch of emotions expressed” among people who are sad to see her leave, as well as her own feelings about leaving a place she has come to love.
Library Board of Trustees Acting Chair Mary Dunphy spoke highly of Costagliola’s tenure.
“Diane is leaving behind big shoes to fill,” she said. “She was exactly what we were looking for in a new director – full of energy and enthusiasm” and a willingness to work hard and get things done, such as painting during COVID19 shutdowns, “and to work collaboratively with the community, fostering good relationships.”
Costagliola allowed time before stepping into her new role to provide time to fill the position and to help the staff “keep things afloat” in the meantime.
“We have an excellent, dedicated staff, so the trustees feel confident that they can maintain the library’s high level of customer service and programming until a new director is found,” Dunphy said. “Once we get the word out about the open position, we’re hopeful that we’ll get a nice pool of applicants.”
One of the things Costagliola likes best about Hull’s library is the number of patrons who are avid readers.
“There’s something quaint and old-timey about them stopping by to check out bestsellers, access eBooks, and spend time here,” she said. “Most of our patrons are true readers in all different formats. They’re not just here to access the other services we offer.”
Among her initiatives in Hull was a digitization project that resulted in online access to the archives of The Hull Beacon and the Hull News-Mirror. She worked with Times Editor Christopher Haraden and historian John Galluzzo, both members of the Hull Historical Society, on the effort to digitize the rolls of microfilm in the library’s collection.
While she will miss Hull, Costagliola is looking forward to this new opportunity and to meeting new people in Sandwich.
“I’ll be taking all the experience and skills I gained here and applying them in my new job,” she said.
Costagliola noted that both Hull and Sandwich are small towns, where the people tend to be the most supportive, flexible, and open to new ideas in her experience.
“Working in Hull was like a breath of fresh air,” she said. “My experience with HPL has change me for the better, and I’m excited to be walking into my new job in Sandwich with that inspiration.”
