THURSDAY, JULY 19TH
The San Diego Public Library hosts an annual event in conjunction with CCI called Comic Conference for Educators and Librarians. Naturally I went there pretty close to the start for their first ever Comics and Libraries Fair, where various libraries (mostly from California) come to present programs they’ve done to promote comics literacy in public libraries.
Me: tell me about “City of Commerce”
Them: well it’s east LA.
Me: wait what? I thought this table was for your program.
Them: well, it is, but we are from the City of Commerce Public Library.
Me: and that’s not part of the LA public library system?
Them: nope
Me: …is it because of, like, how NYPL and Brooklyn Public Library are separate systems because the area is so massive?
Them: oh, no. East LA is an under-served community. The county didn’t want to build libraries there, so the citizens made it a separate city so they could get their own library. We’re a very small system.
Me: that’s insane
Them: people want libraries. Governments drag their feet. Citizens make it happen
Me: I’m never taking the Free Library of Philadelphia for granted again*
*I probably will though