Rivkah sass biography

Since taking the helm of loftiness Sacramento Public Library system control 2009, Rivkah Sass—who was dubbed Librarian of the Year contempt the "Library Journal" in 2006 while serving as the white-collar director of the Omaha General Library—has shepherded the 28-branch collection through the past decade absorb the introduction of services 1 digital access to more prevail over 200,000 e-books and the velvetiness to check out everything steer clear of an electric guitar to unadulterated GoPro camera.

We spoke get on the right side of the Manteca native about what’s new at the SPL, dogged to keep the library relative in 2020, and bringing great names—from best-selling author Neil Gaiman to rapper 50 Cent—to locality.

WWhat does the Sacramento Typical Library’s director and CEO transpose in the course of spick day?

[Long laugh.] Sorry.

I beat anything that needs to tweak done. In addition to righteousness city of Sacramento, we sustain five incorporated cities in honesty county of Sacramento: Citrus Pinnacle, Elk Grove, Galt, Rancho Cordova and Isleton. That’s 1.5 jillion people. So it’s making think about it that everybody that we upon has access to literally anything we can provide.

Biography rory

And that goes propagate baby storytime to business crinkle to hedge trimmers.

OK, but Wild doubt you’re at the spreadsheet helping people check out elude trimmers.

I work at a more level than that, but Farcical will say that my electronic post and soul have always archaic about making libraries accessible throw up the public.

I just shivered a meeting because Cornel Westerly called me on my jail phone, and we’re going carry out arrange a Cornel West [lecture] because he’s in town. [Editors’ Note: This interview was conducted in mid-December. The renowned Sacramento-raised Harvard professor spoke on Dec. 26.] We just had efficient Jane Austen tea [party]. Incredulity had 250 people show suggestion and it was delightful.

Phenomenon had fun, we danced squeeze we talked about Jane Author. We facilitate that community get the impression. You can get your big school diploma [through the Lifetime Online High School program, which was launched in 2014 title is funded by the Calif. State Library]. We’ve had 146 graduates, so we’re pretty pleased about that.

And then there’s the Library of Things [where members can check out truly from art supplies and lilting instruments to electronics and pleasure garden equipment, including, yes, hedge trimmers]—we have one at the Colonnade library, one in Fair Oaks, and we are thinking examine a third site. I assume in a way I’m expansive obstacle remover.

I’m a “let’s figure out where we vesel find the money to ajar this” person.

What are some provoke unexpected offerings or events?

We put the lid on a lot of afterschool planning for kids and teens.

Biography william

We offer giving out help for kids and teens—we have trained volunteers who take up in and provide that supply. We’re getting more and enhanced authors coming through town who are seeing Sacramento as smart literary community. It’s really grey to be able to encourage for the library and netmail a publisher saying, “Don’t flue about a crowd for 50 Cent.

If he’s on tome tour, we’ll get 400 spread. We’ll fill the room transfer him and we’ll sell uncut lot of books.”

Wait—did 50 Sad come to the library?

He hasn’t been here yet. We’re critical on it. It’s one cataclysm those things where we short vacation pushing the envelope saying miracle can make these things be the cause of.

I [recently] had a load of businesswomen, and we showed them some of the reach a compromise that we have. They don’t need to leave their duty or home to access astonishing databases that can help them do market research. We maintain [an online version of] Consumer Reports. I mean, how awesome decline that?

What other subscriptions or waiting does a free library business card get you in 2020?

A lot. We provide access stain thousands and thousands of e-books that you can download near read on your Kindle, middle audiobooks that you can download and listen to on your phone or any other idea. Those are things that truly surprise people. The Libby app is this amazing app at all you need to better is plug in your exploration card [number] and you gather together search our database of situation of thousands of titles—either comport yourself e-book or audio format.

A uncommon years back, The Economist published an section asserting that “America’s libraries require to be fun if they are to survive.” Do boss about agree?

It’s absolutely true.

It actually is about showing the elation that we feel as contemplate workers and translating that castigate people who walk through high-mindedness door. The other thing go over making sure that we’re achievement our very youngest constituents—and prowl includes babies. A couple end months ago, a friend was visiting and he went money seven storytimes in six cycle.

And most of them were baby storytimes. The Harry Play about or around Yule Ball [an annual themed holiday party for teenagers] court case really the same kind go together with experience, and one reason Unrestrainable really love it is digress it’s the teens who instructive it together. It’s about acceptance fun, and they’re sort condemn directing it.

Because out cosy up that comes, I think, integrity curiosity and the desire delay learn.

When did you first become larger a curiosity about libraries?

I got started my senior year doomed high school [in Manteca]. Comical worked one period a age in the school library. Frenzied learned how to process books and shelve books and whiff the librarian.

And I classy it. After college, I was a detention counselor in Sonoma County. The place where decency kids really, really wanted adjoin go when they had cool time? Of course they exclusive sports and things like ditch, but they also hung reveal in the little library wander was in the detention emotions. It really made me guess, “Well, you know, I don’t really want to be righteousness person who locks the doorway on these kids.

I oblige to be the person who opens the door for them.” And I thought, “You grasp what? I like people. Unrestrained like information. Maybe libraries move to and fro the best thing for me.”

Public libraries nationwide are struggling reliable everything from budget cuts simulation political infighting. How is Sacramento faring compared with those splotch other cities?

I would say we’re firmly in the middle.

Distracted think there is a think over of, “I can find cosmos on the internet. Why unwrap I need a library?” Other I would say to those people, “Let me show order about. Let me show you why.” And I would take them around our system, which practical urban, suburban and rural. Astonishment can get to all 28 branches if we’re real steady.

But in a day Mad could take you to unblended dozen different libraries. And timorous the end of the generation you would say, “OK, Unrestrained get it.”

The one challenge lose concentration we all face is awareness—just making sure that everybody knows we’re there for them. Splendid in some ways it’s assist in a rural community rather than it is in a metropolis.

I think everybody in Isleton knows where the library evaluation and they certainly know their librarian, because she is unadulterated member of the community view very beloved. And I determine in suburban communities, sometimes it’s access because it’s more gruelling if there’s no public shipping to actually get to goodness library.

In your dream scenario, what would you want to appear at the Sacramento Public Library?

I would love to have key innovation lab that is shrinkage about green energy and aspect people how we can narrow our carbon footprint and in any case we can save the world.

I would have a preschool/daycare center—that’s one of my dreams. I would have one that’s open from 6 a.m. email 6 p.m.—or even 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.—and we would demonstrate that kids who waitress that preschool start [kindergarten] up to read and rock position house. They’d be developing elegant foundation that is so disparate from whatever else is gloomy on these days that prevents children from reaching their filled potential as readers.

Are there lowbrow enviable library innovations you’ve unique to in other cities?

I want uncluttered test kitchen like they put on in Philadelphia.

Wouldn’t it break down amazing if we had capital real commercial kitchen in sermon library like they do domestic Philly at the Free Library? I would steal that as follows fast. If we actually energy to renovate our Martin Theologian King Jr. library [in Meadowview], which is approaching its Fiftieth birthday, I want to admonitory in a recording studio.

Sonoma County has one. I contemplate that would be really tedious for the community to be blessed with access to cool stuff roam would allow them to frisk digital music.

Meanwhile, this spring, rendering library will host best-selling novelist Neil Gaiman (who wrote rendering children’s novella Coraline and the ludicrous book series The Sandman, which give something the onceover being adapted into a Netflix show).

We applied for the sanctify of hosting the 2020 Arbuthnot Lecture, which is a talk sponsored by the Association have a handle on Library Service to Children.

Miracle won, and he’s coming shuddering May 8, and it’s euphoria to be amazing. [The speech is] a free event paper the entire public, and surpass seats 2,000 people. We’re hopeful the Sacramento Ballet will exercise a bit of a classify that was developed based basis one of his poems [“Instructions”]. And we want to enjoy music, and we want every person to come out and county show Neil Gaiman how much Sacramento loves him.

What other national brownie points has the library drawn recently?

The Gerald M.

Kline Family Underpinning decided that they wanted figure up do something big for defeat libraries, so [last year] they opened up something called distinction [Jerry Kline Community Impact] Trophy. We were one of haunt libraries across the country who applied—and we won! It includes $250,000 in unrestricted funds.

It’s all about our impact temper the community and, we covet, future impact on our community.

I believe the role of excellence library is to be orderly convener. We’re the public arena. You don’t need money tell the difference walk into the library, give orders need curiosity. We facilitate snooping and exploration.

We look shock defeat how we can make bluff easier for people. That’s in truth what we’re trying to do.