Credo: San Francisco city librarian Luis Herrera
By: Tiffany Maleshefski
Special to The Examiner
April 5, 2009
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| Luis Herrera, San Francisco's city librarian since 2005, says that the most inspiring book he's read is Thomas Hardy's "The Mayor of Casterbridge," because of its message of how one's character determines their fate. (Mike Koozmin/Special to The Examiner) |
SAN FRANCISCO — Luis Herrera, the city librarian since 2005, will put down a book that does not resonate with him. He’s also focused on giving back to the community, and wants people to appreciate how modern libraries have become. Herrera’s wife, Nancy, is also a librarian.
What is the most rewarding part of your job? When I go down to the Main Library and I go into the Children’s Room, and I see a lot of children coming in for class visits, and I see their faces and I see the difference that the library makes in their lives, that’s very rewarding. Or, when we open a neighborhood branch. We [recently] opened a new neighborhood library [in] Portola, and we must have had, I kid you not, nearly 800 to 1,000 neighborhood residents just jammed in that library. It was a real community celebration. And when you see that happening, you realize how important the library is in a neighborhood.
What is the most difficult part of your job? I think one of the challenges is that there’s a lot of constituencies. It’s a very diverse community, it’s a very actively engaged community. So with that, I think there’s a high responsibility to hear from people you don’t always hear from, folks who do not have a voice. I always want to make sure that we have equitable services ... for all the various segments throughout San Francisco.
What is the most inspiring book(s) you’ve ever read? Thomas Hardy, the “Mayor of Casterbridge.” That left such an impact on me because it was all about how your character determines your fate. And right now, I’m reading “Tales of the City” [by Armistead Maupin]. Because I’m relatively new to San Francisco, I wanted to get a sense of this book — and I’m having fun with it.
Are you one of those people who will read a book all the way through whether you like it or not? No, I don’t. Sometimes I keep thinking, “OK, keep on reading, maybe you’ll finally get into it.” But at some point, I say, you know, I should not feel guilty about not reading a book that doesn’t resonate or that I don’t connect with.
What is one thing about the San Francisco Public Library that people would be surprised to know? There’s still a segment of the community that sees libraries as their grandparents’ library. I would want folks to see libraries as they’ve transitioned to much more modern, more technology focused, yet they still have that book emphasis.
What would you say is the golden rule by which you live? I’ve been very fortunate in having a very strong core or support group — either family and friends and mentors — for a lot of my own career success, and so I wanted to set the example by giving back either through public service or mentoring others.
