California librarianship has had a rich and fascinating history. From our world-renowned county library systems created in the early 1900s to our dedicated school and public librarians determined to continue serving interned Japanese-American children during World War II, from our academic librarians' fight against McCarthyism in the 1950s to our statewide fight against illiteracy in the 1980s, Californians have been among the first in the library profession to embrace innovation and champion services to all populations.
The California Library Hall of Fame honors the historical significance and lifetime achievements of the many librarians, library workers and supporters who have helped promote and improve library services in California. All members
of the library community are invited to nominate individuals who have made an historically significant contribution to the improvement of California libraries over a sustained period of time.
No more than ten nominees are inducted into the Hall of Fame in any given year. Inductees are featured in CLA's online California Library Hall of Fame and honored at the CLA annual conference. The California Library Hall of Fame is
coordinated by CLA's Library History Interest Group.
Nomination information for the California Library Hall of Fame. 2025 Hall of Fame Honorees - Shirley A. Coaston
Shirley A. Coaston was awarded in 2020 the Trailblazer Award by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, the highest award given to a member in recognition of outstanding and unique pioneering contributions. She was an early member of the Northern California Chapter of the California Librarians Black Caucus (CLBC), and assisted to facilitate the transition to a single, statewide organization. Shirley has chaired the California Librarians Black Caucus Scholarship Committee for several years, and serves as mentor to library personnel ranging from students to early career and seasoned library staff. Despite being retired, Coaston, continues to be active in the library community, the college district and nationally, giving of her time and resources to advocate for libraries at the local, state and national level.
- Susan Curzon
Susan Curzon’s distinguished career profoundly shaped library services in California, both in academic and public libraries, and her leadership left a lasting impact at the local, state, and national levels. As Dean of the University Library at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) from 1992 to 2010, she transformed the library’s collections and embraced digital innovation. Following the devastating 1994 Northridge earthquake, she led the ambitious reconstruction of CSUN’s damaged 235,000-square-foot library. Her impact extended to leading the development of a system-wide information literacy program across 23 campuses. She also championed the CSU Virtual Library initiative, which broadened digital access for students statewide. Previously, Sue directed the City of Glendale Library system and held key leadership roles within the Los Angeles County Public Library, managing adult services and multiple branches serving diverse communities. Her influence extended far beyond California. She was named Library Journal’s Librarian of the Year in 1993, a national recognition of her leadership and innovation. She authored multiple books, including Managing the Interview and Managing Change, as well as co-editing Proven Strategies for Building an Information Literacy Program, which became essential reading for librarians nationwide. She was a sought-after speaker, delivering keynote addresses and presentations on topics such as disaster recovery, library management, and the future of libraries. She earned a Ph.D. in Public Administration from the University of Southern California, writing her dissertation on executive dissent. She also holds a Master’s degree in Librarianship from the University of Washington and a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of California, Riverside.
- Holly Hinman
Holly Hinman was a library trailblazer, first as the director of the Metropolitan Cooperative Library System, and then as director of Burbank Public Library, and Library Services Manager in Beverly Hills. From 1994 until 2015, when she retired, she was director of the Infopeople Project, the premier collaborative for library innovation and training in California. Following an extensive evaluation and review of previous library leadership efforts in California and elsewhere, she initiated the Eureka! Leadership Program in 2006, thus producing many of today’s library directors. Holly was president of the California Library Association in 1986 and CLA Member of the Year in 2004. She died in 2024.
- Dora T. Ho
Dora T Ho worked for over 26 years at the Los Angeles Public Library including one of the first staff to serve in the then newly minted Young Adult Services Department in the late 1990s. For over 20 years, Dora was an ALA Councilor, including 3 years as an ALA Executive Board member. For over a decade, she has served as the Treasurer for the Joint Council of Librarians of Color. During her long career, she mentored many new librarians, both formally and informally, through the UCLA Mentorship program and the APALA Mentorship program, as well as through her involvement and connections with various other professional development organizations.
- Dr. Charles Monell, M.D.
Dr. Charles Monell, M.D. has demonstrated an exceptional record of leadership and dedication to California’s library community over more than four decades. He served with distinction as a member of the California Library Services Board from 1980 to 1994 — appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, Willie Brown — where he helped shape policy and funding priorities that strengthened library services statewide. He was also a founding board member of the California State Library Foundation. By championing state funding opportunities and building strong partnerships with civic leaders, he helped demonstrate the impact that committed local advocates can have on securing sustainable support for public libraries.
- W. Elmo Reavis (1877-1959)
W. Elmo Reavis established the Pacific Library Binding Company in Los Angeles in 1912 to focus solely on bookbinding for libraries. Mr. Reavis taught bookbinding classes at the Los Angeles Public Library Training School (1913-1932), and the Riverside Library Service School (1914-1922). It was important to Reavis that librarians understood bookbinding so they could make informed choices about what sort of binding and lettering, they needed in order to maximize their budgets. He patented several pieces of bookbinding machinery that were used universally, most notably a book sewing machine manufactured by the Oversewing Machine Company, a company that he co-founded to manufacture bookbinding machinery in 1918.
- C. James Schmidt
C. James “Jim” Schmidt was former university librarian and professor emeritus at San Jose State University (SJSU) School of Information. A career librarian, he previously served as library director at State University of New York at Albany and Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. He was also vice president and chief operating officer of the Research Libraries Group (1981-1989), a member and chair of ALA's Intellectual Freedom Committee (1985-1989), president of the Freedom to Read Foundation (1990-1992), a recipient of the Robert B Downs Intellectual Freedom Award (1990) and a recipient of the Beta Phi Mu Award (2009). Jim Schmidt was also a subject matter expert on joint-use libraries, following his involvement with the creation of the King Library in San Jose, which is jointly operated by SJSU and San Jose Public Library. Jim Schmidt’s extensive career in California included serving on the California State University Commission on Learning Resources and Instructional Technology, California State University Council of Library Directors, the Networking Task Force for the State Library of California and the Network Advisory Committee on the Library of Congress. His master's degree was from Columbia University and he had a Ph.D. from Florida State University.
Award Information
Submissions for the 2025 Award are now closed. If you have questions, please contact David McFadden.
Eligibility
- Only individuals, living or deceased, who have worked in and/or advocated on behalf of California libraries may be nominated.
- For library professionals, the nominees are expected to have completed or are nearing the completion of their active professional career.
- The nominee must have made an historically significant and sustained contribution to the improvement of California libraries.
- CLA membership is not required for those persons being nominated, though they must have played a significant leadership role in California library history.
How to nominate Nominators should submit a statement using this online form below of no more than 500 words in support of their nomination. Selection criteria for induction into the California Library Hall of Fame include:
-
an individual's record of leadership in the California Library Association and/or other statewide library group(s) or institution(s);
-
the historical importance and/or impact of the person's sustained achievement in improving California library services; and
-
the person's contribution to improving library services at the national level.
Further information
-
The California Library Hall of Fame is coordinated by CLA's Library History Interest Group (LHIG).
-
LHIG will consider only those individuals who have been formally nominated for inclusion in the Hall of Fame.
-
LHIG reserves the right to induct no-one into the California Library Hall of Fame if qualified candidates are not found.
-
Nominators of successful nominees will be asked to provide a photograph of the inductee to be used on the California Library Hall of Fame website. Content from the nomination form may also be posted on the website.
-
Nominators may nominate more than one candidate for the California Library Hall of Fame, however, a separate nomination form must be submitted for each candidate.
-
Nominations and all supplementary materials must be received by 5:00pm on the submission deadline.
-
If you have questions, please contact David McFadden.
2025 California Library Hall of Fame Committee
-
David McFadden, Southwestern Law School (Chair)
- Letitia Bowles, Hemet Public Library
-
Kimberlee Wheeler, Butte County Library
|
Translate
Print Page