California Movin': LA's Kent to NYPL; SF's Hildreth to Tucson

Kent returns to head branches where career began; Hildreth sees increased opportunity, less contentiousness

by Norman Oder -- Library Journal, 6/15/2004

Two of California's highest profile library jobs are now open. Susan Kent, city librarian of the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) since 1995, has been named director and chief executive of The Branch Libraries at New York Public Library (NYPL), as of September 1. Also, after five years running the San Francisco Public Library (SFPL), City Librarian Susan Hildreth will leave at the end of June to head the Tucson-Pima Public Library (TPPL), AZ.

Kent, who will officially retire from LAPL, at 60 begins a new phase, returning to the city where she was born and earned her library degree (at Columbia). "I have always credited NYPL for being the foundation of my whole career in public libraries, and when this opportunity came along, it seemed the circle was complete," she told LJ, adding that it was also important to move near her mother.

"It has been a golden age in Los Angeles, the most rewarding and exciting job I could have imagined," Kent said. Los Angeles mayor James K. Hahn noted that Kent "spearheaded one of the city's most successful construction programs—building and renovating libraries across the city." Kent more than doubled LAPL's operating budget and expanded services. She received the American Library Association's Joseph W. Lippincott Award for distinguished service in 2003 and LJ's Librarian of the Year award in 2002.

Only in the past year has NYPL emphasized fundraising for its branches along with its research side. Kent's appointment may indicate a change. "When I was offered the job, they told me that NYPL really cares about branches, wants to pay a lot of attention to making them shine," she said.

Kent said she has known NYPL president Paul LeClerc for years, serving together on the Board of Directors of the Council on Library and Information Resources. "We just happened to have a discussion one day, and he told me about the opportunity," she said.

There has been discussion in library circles about turmoil at NYPL, including rumored forced retirements and other staff changes. A report by the management consulting firm McKinsey & Co., never publicly released, is said to have influenced such changes. Kent said that though she was interviewed by McKinsey for the report, she has not read it. While Kent acknowledged that some branches "need freshening up," she was reluctant to announce priorities, noting she must first meet with stakeholders.

In San Francisco, Mayor Gavin Newsom praised Hildreth, while a small but vocal group of library critics said they were pleased to see her go, citing Hildreth's opposition to the city's Board of Supervisors' just-passed effort to create a 17-member library Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) independent of the Library Commission.

Hildreth started at SFPL as deputy city librarian in 1998. After City Librarian Regina Minudri had a stroke in 1999, Hildreth in effect ran the system, officially being named to the top job in March 2001. "I don't see it as a step back," Hildreth said of the move to Tucson. She added that she was also hoping to help the city in areas other than the library, citing cultural activities along with economic and community development.

SFPL has a budget of $55 million. TPPL has a budget of $22 million. Hildreth's San Francisco salary, $155,000, would be subject to a 15 percent pay cut (for all department heads), as of July 1, to $131,000. The Tucson job will pay $121,000. Hildreth, 52, said she liked Tucson's "attractive cost of living" and was interested in a residence that could be a retirement home.

"I usually stay in a position about five years," Hildreth told LJ. "I have had a wonderful time working in San Francisco. We've done many great things, getting the branch bond up and running." The local $106 million bond program will help renovate 19 branches and build five new facilities. Additional funding for two of the projects has been turned down by the state. "There's a huge demand and not enough money," she said, noting that the state requests have been resubmitted.

Hildreth had had preliminary discussions about the open position of California State Librarian but said the deadline for the TPPL opportunity precluded her remaining in the process. While she said she'd been up to the challenge of having "library activists watching and criticizing everything" she does, including a plan to install radio frequency identification tags to hasten checkout (see InfoTech, LJ 6/1/04 , p. 34), Hildreth acknowledged "[Tucson] might be a little less contentious."

The CAC was initially proposed as an 11-member group to advise the supervisors, who have little voice in the mayor- appointed Library Commission. "I believe that the CAC will be a duplication of the efforts of current bodies," Hildreth said, stating that the body was "modified and improved" after SFPL recommended six additional slots for specific constituencies.