County Library Director Starrett Kreissman "I have never smoked, or lived with anyone who did," Ventura County Library District Director Starrett Kreissman said as she announced she is retiring because she has been diagnosed with lung cancer.

At a recent library district commission meeting, the 60year-old Kreissman said she is undergoing treatment.

"I'm going to miss her tremendously," said Kathy Long, a Ventura County Supervisor who was the chair of the library commission until last month.

"Everyone was shocked," said Moorpark Councilmember Clint Harper, who represents the city on the library commission. "Kreissman is a very nice woman; she'll be hard to replace," he said.

Harper said statistics indicate that after tobacco, radon is the second major cause of lung cancer in the U.S. And "there are some hot spots in Ventura County," he said.

The Moorpark representative and other library officials praised Kreissman's work for local libraries. Harper said she was able to hold the district together when it was about to fall apart, and she did much to introduce technology in the libraries, he said.

Kreissman has been a tireless worker for the library system, attended countless meetings and spoke to organizations all over the county, said Alan Langville, deputy director for the library district.

She also was an active member of the California Library Association and while serving on that organization's legislative committee helped preserve funding for county libraries when it was threatened by state action, Langville said.

In 1998, the association named Kreissman "Librarian of the Year."

Langville said she has worked to improve customer service, increase spending on library collections and improve library technology. She's knowledgeable about many things and able to communicate effectively with everyone, and she treated everyone with kindness and respect, he said.

When she worked for Stanislaus County, Kreissman launched a 1/8 cent tax to help support the public libraries in that county. The tax was approved by voters there, and several other counties followed.

Kreissman's ability to bring people together and her dedication to public libraries is what brought her to Ventura County in 1999.

"She brought the library system together to make sure that all libraries were supported," said Long, adding that Kreissman also nurtured Friends of the Library groups throughout the county.

In the late 1990s, the local library district didn't have the leadership of a director so Kreissman's experience was much needed, Long said.

Kreissman said she came to Ventura County because she loves the ocean and the job with the local county library district also offered the kind of challenge she enjoys.