American librarian
John F. Szabo (born 1968) is an American librarian, library executive, and the twentieth City Librarian of Los Angeles , the chief executive of the Los Angeles Public Library . He previously served as the Director of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System , Clearwater (FL) Public Library System , Palm Harbor (FL) Public Library, and the Robinson (IL) Public Library District. In 2015, the Los Angeles Public Library won the National Medal for Museum and Library Service , the nation's highest honor for a library or museum. Awarded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the medal was presented by First Lady Michelle Obama at a White House ceremony.
John Szabo, City Librarian, Los Angeles Public Library
Biography
Szabo was born in Orlando, Florida , and grew up in Montgomery, Alabama . At age 16, Szabo started working as a library clerk at Gunter Air Force Base .
Szabo received his bachelor's degree in telecommunications from the University of Alabama and his master's degree in information and library studies at the University of Michigan .[ 1]
Szabo was appointed director of the public library district serving the city of Robinson and Crawford County , Illinois. His experience then extended to the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System (Director 2005-2012),[ 2] Clearwater Public Library System in Florida , and Palm Harbor Public Library, also in Florida.[ 3] During his Florida tenure, he served as Florida Library Association president.[ 4] [ 3] Szabo became City Librarian of Los Angeles in 2012.[ 5] [ 6]
Honors
In 2020, Szabo was awarded the Betsy Plank Distinguished Achievement Award from the University of Alabama College of Communication and Information Sciences .[ 7]
Alumni Achievement Award, University of Michigan School of Information , 2010.[ 8]
Szabo was featured in the New York Times best seller and Washington Post top 10 book of the year The Library Book by Susan Orlean , 2019.[ 9]
Named as a "Culture Czar" in "The Gay List: 50 Icons and Iconoclasts Who are Transforming the City." Los Angeles Magazine , Pride Issue, June 2019.[ 10]
For his support of the Mexican community of Los Angeles, he received an award of recognition from the University of Guadalajara Foundation and the Universidad de Guadalajara .[ 11]
Publications
Author of Death and Dying: An Annotated Bibliography of the Thanatological Literature .[ 12]
Author of The Bayeux Tapestry: A Critically Annotated Bibliography .[ 13]
References
^ "The City Librarian | Los Angeles Public Library" . lapl.org . Retrieved 2022-09-28 .
^ "John Szabo" . KCRW . 26 August 2014.
^ a b "John Szabo" . OCLC . March 12, 2019.
^ "The City Librarian | Los Angeles Public Library" . www.lapl.org .
^ "John Szabo, MILS '92 | University of Michigan School of Information" . www.si.umich.edu .[permanent dead link ]
^ "Getting a read on L.A.'s new city librarian" . Los Angeles Times . October 14, 2012.
^ "C&IS Honors Day 2020 – College of Communication and Information Sciences" . The University of Alabama . Retrieved 2022-02-04 .
^ "Distinguished UMSI alumni" . University of Michigan School of Information . Retrieved 2022-02-04 .
^ Orlean, Susan (2018). The library book (First Simon & Schuster hardcover ed.). New York. ISBN 978-1-4767-4018-8 . OCLC 1029886122 . {{cite book }}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link )
^ Blum, Steven (2019-05-20). "100-Plus LGBTQ Icons and Iconoclasts Who Are Shaping Culture in L.A. and Beyond" . Lamag - Culture, Food, Fashion, News & Los Angeles . Retrieved 2022-02-04 .
^ Persic, Peter. "University of Guadalajara Foundation Honors City Librarian, John F. Szabo" (PDF) . Los Angeles Public Library . Retrieved 4 February 2022 .
^ Death and Dying: An Annotated Bibliography of the Thanatological Literature .
^ The Bayeux Tapestry: A Critically Annotated Bibliography .
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