Title: Senior Librarian
Company: Riverland Branch Library
Location: Margate, Florida, United States
William F. Fritz Jr., senior librarian at the Riverland Branch Library, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Military for dedication, achievements, and leadership in the Marine Corps.
For nearly 45 years, Mr. Fritz has demonstrated a commitment to helping others, whether in the military, as a teacher or in his most recent career as a librarian. His determination in these efforts was born from his own challenges, beginning with dropping out of high school during his senior year. Mr. Fritz spent several years in California, working odd jobs such as picking pecans and oranges and being a machinist. By the age of 26, though, he was experiencing difficulties with drug addiction and recognized that he needed to make a major life change.
That life change came in 1981 when Mr. Fritz enlisted with the U.S. Marine Corps. His military journey included several years of joint duty with the Navy at the Naval Amphibious School, serving in Beirut for two years and being stationed in Okinawa, Japan, for six months. Among his many accomplishments in the military, Mr. Fritz served as a naval gunfire spotter, requiring strong coordination with multiple ships. In charge of managing multiple forms of fire, he was responsible for ensuring accuracy and readiness for any combat circumstances.
Well-regarded for his contributions, Mr. Fritz was promoted to the ranks of meritorious corporal and sergeant. Upon achieving his final rank of staff sergeant, he oversaw three spot teams working out of a command operations center (COC). Mr. Fritz and his charges tracked all troop positions, helping the Marine Corps maintain situation awareness during complex scenarios. He retired from the Marine Corps in 1990 at the rank of staff sergeant.
After leaving the Marine Corps, Mr. Fritz initially pursued a career as a teacher, recognizing the significant impact that education had on his life. However, during his time as a student teacher in Pittsburgh, he encountered frustrations related to the school system’s bureaucracy and the limits placed on how much he could help kids who were struggling. A friend suggested that Mr. Fritz might find library science to be a better fit, as it would allow him to engage with and help patrons who were already seeking assistance. His first experiences in this field were as a community library manager at the Tyrone Bryant Branch Library, the Lauderdale Lakes Branch Library and Century Plaza.
Beginning in 2001, Mr. Fritz took on the role of community library manager at the Pompano Beach Branch Library, followed by filling the same position at the Stirling Road Branch Library, now the Marta-Beth Friedman Stirling Road Branch Library, and the Imperial Point Branch Library. Across 20-plus years in the library system, he rose to the management level before briefly retiring. After two and a half years in retirement, Mr. Fritz decided to return to work. Since then, he has served as a senior librarian at the Hallandale Beach Branch Library and the Riverland Branch Library.
To commemorate his public service, Mr. Fritz has been presented with multiple military awards. Among others, he earned a Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal in 1983, a Meritorious Unit Commendation Medal in 1984 and a Navy Achievement Medal in 1986. Mr. Fritz was given a Letter of Appreciation in 1987, celebrating the significant work he had done in service of the U.S. Marine Corps and Navy. He additionally obtained a Master of Library and Information Science from Florida State University in 2000.
Outside of his military and library careers, Mr. Fritz is a devoted husband and a loving stepfather to two stepsons. His favorite pastimes include running and going to the gym. Now that he’s back in the library system, Mr. Fritz hopes to return to a managerial role. He envisions improving the organization from the top down to take better care of its staff.
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