Gómez To Leave Urban Libraries Council for San Mateo County Job
Norman Oder -- Library Journal, 8/12/2008
- Led ULC for four years
- Returns to California to be closer to family
- ULC has grown, expanded under his watch
Martín Gómez, president of the Urban Libraries Council (ULC) for four years, will leave on October 24 to head the San Mateo County Library (SMCL), CA, near his home in San Francisco. “Martín has been an absolutely remarkable leader,” said ULC Board Chair Patrick Losinski, director of the Columbus Metropolitan Library, praising Gómez for increasing ULC’s visibility and mission, bringing “the ULC agenda to an international stage.”
During Gómez’s four-year tenure, ULC membership grew by 29%, and the organization moved from Evanston to downtown Chicago and launched several new programs, including Foresight 2020, which aims to prepare libraries for the future. "The job of ULC President has been one of the most rewarding jobs I've ever had,” Gómez told LJ. “During those four years I've been traveling between my home in San Francisco and ULC's Chicago office. It's time for me to spend more time with my family and give up that commute. ULC is strong and well-positioned for continued growth.”
On to San Mateo
Gómez headed the Brooklyn Public Library from 1995 until the beginning of 2002, when he was named executive director of the Friends & Foundation of the San Francisco Public Library. SMCL, south of San Francisco, includes 12 community libraries, serving 11 cities and towns and also unincorporated areas. (It is not a ULC member.)
Victoria (Vickey) Johnson led SMCL from 2004 until earlier this year, when she retired. Johnson, who held leadership positions with state and national library groups and served on the OCLC Board of Trustees, passed away in May, receiving many tributes. Since then, Anne-Marie Despain has served as interim director.
