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Candidate Statement
Susan Broman is the Assistant City Librarian of the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL), which serves more than four million people—the largest and most diverse urban population of any library in the United States. In this role, Susan serves as the Chief Operating Officer for the organization, overseeing the $194 million budget, Central Library and 72 branches, and a staff of 1,200 people.
At her core, Susan is a thoughtful problem-solver, and she has applied that skill set to more than two decades of library work in southern California. She began her career as a children's librarian and has held a wide variety of positions including branch manager, director of services to adults, webmaster and head of information technology. Susan feels fortunate to have interacted with fantastic teams along the way and has contributed to a number of groundbreaking projects.
Susan’s career highlights include: introducing graphic novels and comic books into a library system for the first
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time; piloting self-service check out in 2002 that is now a successful and widely replicated model; convening an innovative Emerging Technology Think Tank group to brainstorm creative solutions; bringing expanded bandwidth to the library—making LAPL the first to offer unprecedented 100 gigabit broadband internet; and contributing to the design of innovative spaces in the library including the Digital Commons and the digital media makerspace Octavia Lab.
Susan is interested in how technology affects the lives of the community, and how the library can help people gain access to the tools they need to succeed. With that in mind, Susan has been instrumental in establishing Los Angeles Public Library’s historic partnership with Los Angeles Unified School District—the nation’s second largest—to get a Student Success library card into the hands of every student in just two years. This kind of access has been life-changing for many young Angelenos and their families.
Susan is also a proponent of leveraging the library’s status as a trusted community resource to expand the kinds of services people can find at their local library. For example, Los Angeles was the first public library in the nation to offer adults an accredited online high school diploma and career certificate. Partnering with USCIS, LAPL has created a nationally recognized citizenship program to help the area’s 700,000 eligible residents. The library is working with community organizations to feed school children during the summer, screen adults for hypertension, and address other health disparities in L.A.’s neediest communities. The Source, the library’s one-stop shop for free health and emergency services for community members experiencing homelessness, now happens every month at six libraries citywide. The library offers job training and skills development, small business resources and basic financial literacy skills to help people take control of their money.
With a mind for structural communication, Susan strives to improve library service from the inside out. She believes strongly in teamwork and has seen the benefits of enabling staff to join forces to achieve great things. In an effort to foster this culture of collaboration, Susan has launched a Leadership Development Program and a Safety and Security Project—both of which are staff-driven. For the first time, in 2018, the Los Angeles Public Library also held an All-Staff Development Day.
Questionnaire
1. Why are you interested in this position?
I have been fortunate in my career in libraries in California, and I want to use the experience and knowledge I have gathered to give back.
2. How would you describe your personal leadership/communication style?
I am a convener and a problem-solver. I feel I am able to balance visionary, big-picture thinking with effective management to get things done. I listen and observe, I am direct and transparent in my communication and bring empathy when needed.
3. What strengths would you bring to the position?
I am able to lead a team to accomplish projects big and small. I am passionate about the ability of libraries to change lives and have meaningful impacts on their communities. I work hard to convene groups of people who will bring diverse perspectives, skills, and strengths to develop a plan, solve a problem, or discuss an issue.
4. What experience do you bring to this position?
I have worked in public libraries nearly 25 years, beginning as a children’s librarian. My career has included working as a branch manager at small and medium branches, being a webmaster, leading adult services for a large library system, managing public-facing digital projects, overseeing IT and Technical Services departments, and I am currently the Assistant City Librarian for the Los Angeles Public Library.
5. What issues or trends are particularly informing your work at this time?
Many of my current projects are focused on helping library workers to acquire the skills they need to adapt to an environment of rapidly increasing change. This includes a staff development project that centers equity and sustainability in our approach to creating a culture of leadership at every level, and an initiative to improve the safety and security of our libraries by engaging all staff in conversations about what makes them feel safe at work, and what can be done to make the library a safe and welcoming place for everyone.
Other issues of particular interest are access to broadband internet for everyone, along with digital inclusion initiatives to make sure that all members of our community have the ability to take advantage of the wealth of content and opportunities that are available. I closely watch trends in technology and how expectations of consumers inform how we deliver library services.
6. Who are the thought leaders (in libraries or in other fields) who interest you?
In the library world, I am drawn to leaders who always question the status quo and push themselves and their staff to think about how the library serves the public in new ways. Examples of these leaders include Patty Wong at Santa Monica Public Library and Melanie Huggins at the Richland Library. I watch what is happening in the museum world, and how that applies to libraries – the work of Nina Simon, lately of the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History and founder of OF/BY/FOR is an inspiration to me. I use social media, particularly Twitter, to find voices that will challenge my assumptions and expose me to a wide variety of opinions and ideas from community organizers, advocates, writers, artists, and activists.
7. Who are the regional and statewide stakeholders libraries need to be in communication with?
Libraries need to be part of the collective impact that has to happen to solve the most difficult issues facing California today. That means increasing our visibility among city, county, and state agencies as well as non-profit providers of services. A dialogue with technology companies is essential, as the digital divide continues to widen. We also should be partnering with the other cultural institutions in our cities and towns and leverage our ability to reach every neighborhood to bring access to cultural experiences and activities to a wider audience.
8. What do you feel are the most critical challenges and opportunities facing California libraries right now?
- Stable budgets, and developing champions at all levels of government.
- Attracting and retaining a diverse and inclusive workforce.
- Creating a safe and welcoming space for all community members.
- Advocating for digital inclusion and affordable broadband access so the rich digital resources libraries invest in are available to every person.
- Continuing to strengthen our position as an essential part of education in the state.
9. Describe your experience serving on Association committees and/or interest groups.
I have served on a variety of CLA committees, including Member of the Year, Intellectual Freedom, Finance. I was chair of the Reference Service Press Fellowship. In the past, I was active in the Technology Interest Group.
10. Describe your network of connections with library professionals and library stakeholders in California.
Having been a part of two of the largest library systems in the country has given me connections with an incredible group of people - networks that grow as people move to different systems and positions in the state. I have had the opportunity to be in the inaugural cohort of the Eureka leadership institute. I was a part of the Aspen Institute “Beyond Connectivity” conference. The informal network of assistant directors has been helpful to me as well, as I have moved into a new phase of my career in the past two years.
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