San
José Public Library Director Wins Coveted National Award
Jane Light Honored With The Public
Library Association's Charlie Robinson Award
July 29, 2004 -
San José Public Library Director Jane Light has been awarded
the Public Library Association’s prestigious Charlie Robinson
Award for her innovative and successful efforts to develop library
services that meet the needs of 21st century users.
"Changing preconceived notions about libraries has been
a challenge,” reflects Light. “Judging by the number
of visits paid to our libraries each year—nearly 7 million
during the fiscal year ending June 2004—I think we’re
succeeding.
"It is extremely gratifying to be recognized for doing work
that I love,” Light continues, “and I want to thank
my staff and the people of San José for being wonderfully
open-minded to changes at their libraries. Here in Silicon Valley,
we are at the center of a modern library renaissance."
Established in 1998, the Charlie Robinson Award honors a public
library director for career achievements in pioneering new programs
and methods for serving the public.
During Light’s tenure at San José Public Library,
she has developed and implemented a number of creative initiatives,
including:
- Opening the new downtown Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library—the
only library in the nation co-managed by a major city and a major
university.
- Creating the vision for a modern library system that resulted
in widespread community support and approval for a bond measure
that is currently funding the creation of six new branch libraries
and the expansion of 14 existing branches.
- Developing a new customer-oriented service model that focuses
on making library environments friendlier, empowering library
users by enabling self-service and freeing staff to offer more
personalized assistance when needed.
- Integrating technology into public libraries to make information
and materials more accessible.
Before coming to San José in 1997, Light served as director
of the Redwood City Library when it won the first Thomson Gale/Library
Journal Library of the Year Award in 1992. She holds a master’s
degree in library science from U.C. Berkeley and has served in
the library profession for over 25 years.
This is the second major public service award for San José
libraries this year. In June, San José Public Library and
San José State University Library were jointly awarded
the coveted Thomson Gale/Library Journal 2004 Library of the Year
Award for the success of the new King Library, system-wide integration
of materials and services, and innovations in branch library services.
Public libraries are San José’s most popular City
service with 91% of surveyed residents rating library service
as very good or excellent. Residents not only support their libraries,
they use them regularly. During the past five years, circulation
at the San José Public Library has jumped by 108%; the
average resident checks out 15 books each year, more than double
the Bay Area average of six per year.
For more information, contact:
• Lorraine Oback, San José Public Library, at (408)
808-2176
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