John Szabo

{{short description|American librarian}}

John F. Szabo (born 1968) is an American librarian, library executive, and the twentieth City Librarian of Los Angeles, the chief executive of the Los Angeles Public Library. He previously served as the Director of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System, Clearwater (FL) Public Library System, Palm Harbor (FL) Public Library, and the Robinson (IL) Public Library District. In 2015, the Los Angeles Public Library won the National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the nation's highest honor for a library or museum. Awarded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the medal was presented by First Lady Michelle Obama at a White House ceremony.

File:Lapl-johnszabo-atrium-094.jpg

Biography

Szabo was born in Orlando, Florida, and grew up in Montgomery, Alabama. At age 16, Szabo started working as a library clerk at Gunter Air Force Base.

Szabo received his bachelor's degree in telecommunications from the University of Alabama and his master's degree in information and library studies at the University of Michigan.{{Cite web |title=The City Librarian {{!}} Los Angeles Public Library |url=https://lapl.org/about-lapl/city-librarian |access-date=2022-09-28 |website=lapl.org |language=en}}

Szabo was appointed director of the public library district serving the city of Robinson and Crawford County, Illinois. His experience then extended to the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System (Director 2005-2012),{{Cite web|title=John Szabo|url=https://www.kcrw.com/people/john-szabo|website=KCRW|date=26 August 2014 }} Clearwater Public Library System in Florida, and Palm Harbor Public Library, also in Florida.{{Cite web|date=March 12, 2019|title=John Szabo|url=https://www.oclc.org/en/about/leadership/profiles/szabo-john.html|website=OCLC}} During his Florida tenure, he served as Florida Library Association president.{{Cite web|title=The City Librarian | Los Angeles Public Library|url=https://www.lapl.org/about-lapl/city-librarian|website=www.lapl.org}} Szabo became City Librarian of Los Angeles in 2012.{{Cite web|title=John Szabo, MILS '92 | University of Michigan School of Information|url=https://www.si.umich.edu/news-events/people-profiles/alumni-spotlights/john-szabo|website=www.si.umich.edu}}{{Dead link|date=March 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/business/la-xpm-2012-oct-14-la-fi-himi-szabo-20121014-story.html|title=Getting a read on L.A.'s new city librarian|date=October 14, 2012|website=Los Angeles Times}}

Honors

  • Named as a "Culture Czar" in "The Gay List: 50 Icons and Iconoclasts Who are Transforming the City." Los Angeles Magazine, Pride Issue (2019) {{Cite news|last=Blum|first=Steven|date=2019-05-20|title=100-Plus LGBTQ Icons and Iconoclasts Who Are Shaping Culture in L.A. and Beyond|url=https://www.lamag.com/culturefiles/pride-the-gay-list/|access-date=2022-02-04|newspaper=Lamag - Culture, Food, Fashion, News & Los Angeles|language=en-US}}
  • Award of recognition from the University of Guadalajara Foundation and the Universidad de Guadalajara for support of the Mexican community of Los Angeles{{cite web |last1=Persic |first1=Peter |title=University of Guadalajara Foundation Honors City Librarian, John F. Szabo |url=https://www.lapl.org/sites/default/files/press/2019/pdfs/univ-guadalajara-foundation-release.pdf |website=Los Angeles Public Library |access-date=4 February 2022}}
  • Alumni Achievement Award, University of Michigan School of Information (2010){{cite web | title=Distinguished UMSI alumni | website=University of Michigan School of Information | url=https://www.si.umich.edu/about-umsi/distinguished-umsi-alumni | access-date=2022-02-04}}
  • Librarian of the Year, Library Journal (2025){{cite web | title=City Librarian: John Szabo Is LJ’s 2025 Librarian of the Year | website=Library Journal | url=https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/city-librarian-john-szabo-is-ljs-2025-librarian-of-the-year | access-date=2025-06-23}}

Publications

Author of Death and Dying: An Annotated Bibliography of the Thanatological Literature.{{Cite book|url=https://rowman.com/ISBN/9780810872752/Death-and-Dying-An-Annotated-Bibliography-of-the-Thanatological-Literature|title=Death and Dying: An Annotated Bibliography of the Thanatological Literature|language=en-us}}

Author of The Bayeux Tapestry: A Critically Annotated Bibliography.{{Cite book|url=https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781442251564/The-Bayeux-Tapestry-A-Critically-Annotated-Bibliography|title=The Bayeux Tapestry: A Critically Annotated Bibliography|language=en-us}}

References