Most Popular Posts 2010 - Librarian of the Day - Eva Mitnick - L.A. Public Library

I was lucky enough to sit with Eva Mitnick at the Golden Kite Lunch honoring children's book authors. I found her funny and  charming. She has a famous kidlit blog, Eva's Book Addiction, and is passionate about children's literature. Of course librarians are my favorite people and I am thrilled that my Librarian of the Day, Eva Mitnick agreed to give me an interview.

When and why did you become a librarian?
 
Because I managed to reach my last year of college without having decided what to do with my life or my somewhat useless double major (philosophy and German literature), my mother's suggestion to go to library school fell on receptive ears.  And as my mother is a librarian herself who practically raised me in various libraries (she even brought me as an infant

to library school classes), it seemed like a good fit, especially since I was a bookworm who couldn't imagine anything better than being surrounded by books all day. So I went straight from UC Santa Cruz to what was then known as UCLA's Graduate School of Library and Information Science, graduating with an MLS in 1989. Luckily there was a children's librarian vacancy at the West Los Angeles branch of the Los Angeles Public Library where I had been working as a student librarian, so I slipped right in. Of course, children's librarianship turned out to be a lot more than "being surrounded by books all day," and thank goodness for that. It has been a career that has never ceased to be exciting and inspiring to me.

What can we do as authors/parents and  friends to help our local libraries in this tough economic times?
 
Be vocal and let yourselves be heard!  It's taken for granted that everyone loves libraries - but that makes it easy to take libraries for granted. The Los Angeles Public Library, as part of the very troubled City of Los Angeles, has been undergoing an unprecedented period of staff shortages brought about by a long-term hiring freeze and employees leaving as part of a City early retirement incentive program. Our mayor has asked that 4000 city employees be laid off -- which might mean as many as 400 city employees. A Save the Library campaign (www.savethelibrary.org) has aroused strong support for the library, and some of the most stirring, passionate, and effective statements to the City Council have come from children, teens, parents, and other library users. If your library is in danger, make it clear to the media and to those in power that the public library is an essential part of a democratic nation and it MUST be a top priority in our society.

Name a few of your favorite children’s books, including a new “hot” book.
 
As a child, I read Edward Eager's fantasies (Half Magic et al) over and over, as well as Charlotte's Web, A Wrinkle in Time, and all the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary -- those are still some of my favorites. Authors whose new books I await with eagerness include Diana Wynne Jones, Christopher Paul Curtis, Susan Patron, E. Lockhart, and -- well, the list is WAY too long to recite!  Let's just say that the sight of a fresh publishers catalog or the book review section of SLJ or Booklist gives me palpitations of joy and delight.  I live to read children's and YA books!  A current "hot" book - I'm a huge fan of Rick Riordan's Perseus and the Olympians series and I'll squee as loudly as anyone when I get my hands on the new Suzanne Collins.

Name a few of your favorite Kidlit blogs.
 
Oh gosh, this could be another long list!  To be VERY brief (my blog reader subscribes to almost 100 feeds!) - Peter Sieruta's Collecting Children's Books (funny, thoughtful, and well-written, with fascinating connections) http://collectingchildrensbooks.blogspot.com/, Charlotte's Library (by an avid science fiction and fantasy fan) http://charlotteslibrary.blogspot.com/, Reading Rants (these reviews of teen books always make my must-read list longer) http://www.readingrants.org/, and of course Fuse #8 by Betsy Bird for one-stop shopping of all things Kid Lit http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1790000379.html?nid=3713

What is your favorite dessert and why?
 
Moist yellow cake with rich chocolate buttercream frosting or vanilla ice-cream with hot fudge and peanuts -- it's that combination of fat and chocolate, plus the mixture of two basic flavors, that does it for me every time!

Eva's Bio:

My current title is Acting Manager of Children's Services at the Los Angeles Public Library; I was appointed to this position when my boss, Ilene Abramson, retired in mid-March.  However, when the manager of Young Adult Services retires in May or perhaps June, the two departments will be merged into one and I will become Acting Manager of Youth Services, responsible for coordinating systemwide programming, collection development, outreach, and training for children's and YA librarians serving youth ages 0 to 19.  The Central Library's Children's Literature and Teenscape departments will also be under the jurisdiction of the Youth Services office.  Many changes are ahead -- it's very exciting! 

Eva Mitnick
Acting Manager, Children's Services
Los Angeles Public Library
213-228-7483

Comments

[Yaya]

Working in a library is definitely one of the most inspiring arenas for a writer. I worked in a library and I think I simply absorbed more imagination and creativity. Whoever thoughtr up libraries was possibly the smartest person who ever lived.

~ Yaya
Yaya's Home

[susan patron]

It thrills me to the core to see my name in the sentence that begins, "Authors whose new books I await with eagerness..." Thanks, Eva, for that and for your fighting spirit during the dark days at LAPL. And many thanks to Tina for this interview. I've linked to it on facebook.

[Mary Ann Dames, - Reading, Writing, and Recipes]

Librarians are my friends. Kudos to them all. Tina, I linked to this interview at my site. Yes!

[Charlotte]

Good luck to you, Eva, fighting the good fight as you are!

And thanks so much for the mention--I am flattered as all get out!

[Robyn]

With all the turmoil at LAPL I am personally thankful that Eva took on the new challenge. Her energy and wit will be much needed in the days ahead!

[Lisa Gail Green]

What a great interview! Save the libraries! My mother was a librarian (retired) and I too was raised on books.

[Terry Doherty]

The LA Public Library System is very lucky to have Eva! Even with all the turmoil, her passion and love of kidlit shines through in this interview. Thanks, Tina.

[TinyReader]

Yay librarians!!!!