When Angel City Press (ACP) cofounders Paddy Calistro and Scott McAuley began thinking about retiring a few years ago, they knew they wanted to make sure ACP remained a local operation. Established in 1992, ACP is a small publisher dedicated to producing high-quality books that spotlight the art, architecture, history, and personalities of its hometown, Los Angeles, and Southern California. Among other local partners, the press has produced several books in collaboration with Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL), mining the library’s extensive photo archive and the deep knowledge of its librarians, including City Librarian John Szabo.

One option would have been for Calistro and McAuley to sell the press, running the risk of losing its unique, hyperlocal focus and a new owner taking any books that didn’t sell well out of print; ACP views its publications as records of the city as well as commercial commodities. But after attending the 2018 PubWest conference where Becky Brasington Clark, director of the Library of Congress Publishing Office, spoke about its library-centered efforts, Calistro began thinking about the work the press had done with LAPL and Szabo—and how good a fit the library might be for ACP’s mission. “John is such an innovator, such a forward-thinking person, that we thought he’ll understand the value of this to the library,” ACP Editorial Director Terri Accomazzo told LJ.

Calistro took Szabo out to lunch and approached him with a proposition: She and McAuley would give the press to the library as a gift.

“I took a swallow and thought—well, I’m really liking this idea,” Szabo recalled.

Several years, a few lawyers, and much due diligence later, the donation has been approved by Los Angeles City Council, and ACP will now be known as Angel City Press at the Los Angeles Public Library.

AN INDEPENDENT ENTERPRISE

Los Angeles Central Library: A History of its Art and Architecture Courtesy of Angel City Press at Los Angeles Public Library

ACP and LAPL’s partnership began in 2013 with Songs in the Key of Los Angeles: Sheet Music from the Collection of the Los Angeles Public Library , by Josh Kun, followed by To Live and Dine in L.A.: Menus and the Making of the Modern City and The Autograph Book of L.A. , also by Kun, all of which highlight the library’s special collections; and Los Angeles Central Library: A History of Its Art and Architecture , to which Szabo contributed the foreword. The press has done events at Central Library and other branches and has participated in library programs.

“Angel City press is a much-loved and well-known entity within Greater Los Angeles,” said Szabo. “It is certainly loved by the literary community, the people who care about historic preservation, people who care about the art scene, architecture, culture in Los Angeles, and Angel City press has a record of 30 years or so of producing high-quality, wonderful, beautiful books.”

The press has always been a highly independent enterprise, with Calistro and McAuley serving as sole proprietors for its entire existence. “It’s remarkable what they’ve been able to achieve, just the two of them,” said Accomazzo. “That’s why we’ve been able to do some books that are a little more niche, a little more specific, that wouldn’t necessarily be of interest to a big corporate publisher—but they’re some of the most important books that I think we’ve published.” Now that the two have stepped down, Accomazzo will take the helm as ACP’s lone employee.

A primary concern, she noted, was continuity—that authors would continue to see their titles in print and receive any royalties due. Many of them have known Accomazzo since she was an intern at ACP, and “they all trust me—we have good relationships,” she said. “I’m really pleased that everyone sees this as a positive move and an exciting change, rather than something nerve-wracking.”

Even as a gift, handing over the press to the library was no simple matter. Moving an incorporated business into a government entity took “a lot of time, a lot of lawyers,” said Accomazzo, and the process stretched out over five years. Thirty years’ worth of author contracts and royalty records—ACP has more than 100 titles in print—were carefully examined and ultimately approved by the city’s legal team. “All of our author contracts are technically a liability because we have to pay royalties on them,” she pointed out. “Some of the contracts we owe advances on. So the city really needed to make sure that all the I’s were dotted and the T’s were crossed.”

But all has gone smoothly, if slowly, and Accomazzo looks forward to seamlessly carrying on with the press’s work showcasing the untold stories of Los Angeles. “One of the really beautiful things about this deal is that the library respects the work that we’ve been doing and wants to see it continue,” she said. Going forward, she and Szabo are interested in exploring new avenues, including work in translation and children’s books, as well as growing ACP’s e- and audiobook formats.

“I think the reason this makes sense is because we have a very common mission,” said Szabo. Both LAPL and ACP focus on sharing stories that might not otherwise be amplified, “and having another tool in our toolbox, another mechanism, another platform to do that, is really exciting.”

However, he emphasized, the library won’t be using its role connecting the public with content to sell books. While the Library of Congress has its own publishing arm, as does New York Public Library, those imprints concentrate on projects within their respective institutions. ACP is outward-facing, noted Accomazzo, “looking at our community, and all the knowledge and resources that exist outside the library as well.”

(l.-r.) Author and former Port Director Geraldine Knatz, Los Angeles City Librarian John F. Szabo and author Naomi Hirahara Photo credit: Los Angeles Public Library

ACP currently publishes about six books a year, but Accomazzo hopes to continue to elevate local voices while remaining a selective publisher. “We can’t do everything, but there are thousands of essential stories that need to be told,” she said. “That’s what’s on my mind—how to do as much as we can, and do the city justice, while at the same time maintaining the quality that we always have been known for.”

In March, LAPL’s Central Library hosted the book launch for the first official title published by Angel City Press at the Los Angeles Public Library: Terminal Island: Lost Communities on America’s Edge, a reprint of a book ACP produced in partnership with the Port of Los Angeles several years ago. Authors Naomi Hirahara and former Port Director Geraldine Knatz were on hand for the well-attended event, as were a 101-year-old original Terminal Islander and several descendants.

Among other things, Szabo sees the press as an extension of LAPL’s prioritizing intellectual freedom. “Just as librarians are committed to having books on the shelf and public programs and exhibitions that reflect all voices in the community, and everyone’s stories and lived experience, we’ll endeavor to do that with the press as well. I hope that makes people feel good about the press being part of the library.” Reactions from the public, he added, have been enthusiastically positive.