First lady Michelle Obama presents a 2010 National Medal for Museum and Library Service to Dina McNeece, the director of Patchogue-Medford Library, Patchogue, N.Y., center, and community member, Zheni Velasquez, left, during an East Room ceremony Dec. 17, 2010, at the White House in Washington. The National Medal is the nation's highest honor for museums and libraries that make extraordinary civic, educational, economic, environmental, and social contributions. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Patchogue-Medford Library became a center of healing for its community following the stabbing death of Ecuadorean immigrant Marcelo Lucero in 2008.
Now, First lady Michelle Obama has recognized that library with a national medal for bilingual education.
The First Lady presented the National Medal for Museum and Library Service during a ceremony Friday in the White House.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services selected the Patchogue library for its work bringing together Spanish-speaking immigrants and English speakers.
The Suffolk library was among 10 recipients of the medal.
The library has been credited for the substantial role it played supporting the community of Patchogue after Lucero was killed by a mob of teenagers targeting Hispanics.
With AP.
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