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California Library Hall of Fame

Cindy Mediavilla

Cindy Mediavilla was an undergraduate English major when a college counselor advised her to use her B.A. to pursue one of three careers: lawyer, teacher, or librarian. Cindy chose librarianship, but eventually became a lecturer as well, teaching graduate-level library science courses for San Jose State University (1991-2000) as well as UCLA (2000-2016). She received her master’s of library science degree in 1977 and doctorate in 2000, both from UCLA.

As a practicing librarian she worked for public libraries throughout Southern California. She also worked ten years (2005-2015) for the California State Library, where she managed several statewide grant programs. After overseeing an after-school homework center for the Orange Public Library (1992-94), she was awarded an American Library Association (ALA) research grant to study homework programs across the country, resulting in Cindy becoming one of the nation’s leading experts on the topic.

Her first book for ALA, CREATING THE FULL-SERVICE HOMEWORK CENTER IN YOUR LIBRARY (2001), has been called “the quintessential guide to the practicalities of setting up a formal homework help center.” She has since written and co-authored books for ALA on outcome-based planning and evaluation, library gardens, and updated homework centers.

Cindy has served the California Library Association in numerous capacities, including Assembly member-at-large (1995-98, 2004-10), newsletter editor (2002-3, 2009-11), conference planning chair (2009), and president (2001). She is a founding member of the CLA Library History Round Table (now Interest Group) and led the campaign to create a California Library Hall of Fame, for which she chaired the selection committee for 10 years (2012-21).

Cindy’s proudest achievement, however, is contributing to the education of hundreds of library school students during her 25 years of teaching. Cindy was given the UCLA Library and Information Studies Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumni award in 2005 and CLA’s Member of the Year award in 2016.

Cindy Mediavilla was inducted into the California Library Hall of Fame in 2022. For more information, please see:

Morehart, Phil. (2018). A conversation with author Cindy Mediavilla: Homework-help expert discusses her new book. American Libraries (August 3). https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2018/08/03/conversation-author-cindy-mediavilla/.

Christopher, Rob. (2019). Why libraries and gardens are a natural fit: An interview with Carrie Scott Banks and Cindy Mediavilla. ALA Store [blog]. (May 7). https://www.alastore.ala.org/content/why-libraries-and-gardens-are-natural-fit-interview-carrie-scott-banks-and-cindy-mediavilla.

Photo credit: Cindy Mediavilla