Big Fucking Ego...or

 

forty-one years and ten months of my life

Subject specialist 33 years

thousands of reference desk shifts

forty-one years and ten months never called in sick on a weekend, ever

hundreds of meaningless training sessions

Chief Steward for Librarians Guild and Rank and FIle Steward for Central Library for six years

Member in good standing Librarian's Guild entire career

Was Young Adult Librarian for the History department until Fire

Wrote five different articles about the fire and the pain of recovery in assorted publications The Communicator, Downtown News, LA Magazine, and USC School of Journalism.

Interviewed extensively for Susan Orlean's "The Library Book" 

Taught computer classes to public for six years.

Had essay on inclusion published in Alternative Library Literature: A Biennial Anthology

Survived the fire and unknown future for seven years, never knowing day by day where I would end up. Lived with debilitating bronchial conditions for two years from Fire cleanup. 

Was Master of Ceremonies for the Staff Talent Show to boost morale after fire.

Wrote scripts for Central Library tours in both old Central and Spring street. 

Produced  humorous film with Roy Stone for the retirement party of City Librarian Wyman Jones shown to raves at the Stock Exchange in 1990 (on YouTube)

Supervised archival transition of Historic Photo Collection files at Mar Vista wharehouse. 1993

Built the map collection up from an underused pile of stuff no one understood to a nationally known elite resource.

Created users guides for map collection, Sanborn map collection and Topographical maps

Set precedent of requesting and accepting gifts for  Map Collection. Collected five major gifts including the greatest gift in Central History, the John Feather's map collection that was written about in newspapers and online publications.

Worked with film maker Alec Earnest to make video on the Feathers gift for the Los Angeles Review of Books that has been seen over 25,000 times.

Produced five major map exhibits, including the landmark "Los Angeles Unfolded" 

After years of memos and promises got locks on map cases.

Procured gift from Historic Resources Group of complete hard copy set of  Sanborn Atlases (Los Angeles and surrounding cities) showing city in mid-1950's

Procured complete set of original historic tract atlases from Chicago Title Insurance Company

Received cartographic materials from the California State University Map Library.

Was able to evaluate and get gifts from Los Angeles Natural History Museum including rare 1909 Birdseye Map.

Wrote  28 of the first blog posts for LAPL, Posted 138 Los Angeles Magazine articles, published three extensive pieces in scholarly  journals and a dozen essays in other periodicals (LAist, Downtown News, Huffington Post etc.

Won the Downtown News Best of LA contest three times.

Made first connection to Los Angeles Herald-Examiner after paper folded with Head Librarian Ann Saucedo setting up meetings to gain their massive archive.

Increased the size of the menu collection dramatically collecting and presenting the Merrill Shindler collection that covers hundreds of menus from the 1970's and 80's

Appeared on shows for Public Radio (KCRW and KPPC) and Public Television KCET. Interviewed on Notebook of Cities and Cultures. Guest on Esotouric Podcast. Provided crucial research for Huell Howser, Chris Nichols of LA Mag. and Cecilia Rasmussen of the LA Times dating back to the mid-nineties. Appeared on "The Story with Dick Gordon" for American Public Media. Did program for Spectrum News on Negro League baseball with TImothy Parker. Was featured in Alive, the publication of the Employees Club of California. Was featured in article in Titan, the magazine of California State University at Fullerton. 

Spoke before historical societies or neighborhood groups 42 times including Special Libraries Association, California Map Society, Los Angeles Geographical Society, Western Association of Map Librarians, Google at Santa Monica, the Westerners, LA Breakfast Club and the Society of Professional Journalists.

Coaxed attention and funding out of the Board of Library Commissioners a dozen times. 

Gave Docents training every year for thirty years.

Left pertinent materials out for Docent Tours on a regular basis

Accepted the first Bruckman Award in 2015 

Trained dozens of librarians in my department and mentored library school students

Worked crossover in Science and covered Literature, Art, and Children's desks

Spent two years learning Branch Libraries as staff member at West Los Angeles branch after the fire. Was sent to other West side libraries including Palms Rancho, Venice, Pacific Palisades, Westchester, Brentwood and Mar Vista.

Gave countless Tours for children, teenagers and senior citizens because "I was good at it"

 Visited Crossroads School and elementary school kids. including all day visit from Franklin Avenue School.

Was department liason for Magnet School at Central Library

Published book in 2010 Los Angeles in Maps by RIzzoli. 1st printing sold out.

Was featured author at ALOUD to sold out Taper Auditorium

Wrote introduction for Heyday book "LAtitudes: An Angeleno's Atlas"

Wrote chapters in three photo collection books

Was panelist at Pasadena Public Library for book "L.A. Baseball..."

Participated in Baseball History exhibit at Burbank Library for Baseball Reliquary

Participated in staff poetry contests during Sequester (first cars, food)

Reader for staff Doctor Seuss reading day, 

Was runner up in SCAN writing contest "why I love reading" Won a coffee cup

Wrote proposal for Haynes Foundation grant that made possible the digitization of the Roller Maps (Wallmaps). Protected said maps from destruction for over 30 years and cataloged the collection, found a safe place for the maps and fought for their survival.

Worked closely with the Foundation in trying to raise money and gifts to library including field trips to possible donors.

Created popular staff Christmas cards for twenty-five years. First hard copy, then digital.

Drew unofficial history of library in cartoons from 1980 to 2000's

Organized three LAPL nights at Dodger Stadium

Provided two entries for "Dear Los Angeles, the City in Diaries and Letters 1542-2018 by David Kipen

Special guest reader for David Kipen's ALOUD program "Dear Los Angeles"

Edited most popular Communicator article collecting the names of the entire staff of LAPL's cats. Copy is part of the Special Collection at the Glendale Public Library.

Formed the Men's Skid Row Book Club from Weingart Center

Supervised crews removing books after Fire in building sometimes twelve hours per day.

Supervisor for  teams shelving books at Spring street in Social Science and History departments in 1989.

Shelved and shifted every single book in the History department with Jose Paiz for opening of Spring Street

Made desk schedules at Spring street

After return to Central Library shelved all folios atlases and elephants in Central including Sanborns, Baist and Garland atlases onto shelves where they sit today. Shelves had to be adjusted for each set.

Was given the David Cameron award by the Los Angeles Historical Society for increasing awareness of Los Angeles history.

Brought donuts for staff on Saturdays from 1993 to 2021.

There is more.