Cathy Billings Named Acting South Pasadena Library Director

Cathy Billings, the City’s associate library director since 2017, has been named as the acting library director following the retirement of longtime director Steve Fjeldsted.

Billings will oversee all library operations and staff while a search is conducted for a permanent director, said City Manager Stephanie DeWolfe.

“We are extremely fortunate to have someone of Cathy’s experience and skill in the associate role, who can step in and provide a seamless transition for our Library department,” DeWolfe said.

Billings has more than 30 years of experience in library science. Prior to joining the South Pasadena team, she served as Senior Library, Arts & Culture Supervisor for the City of Glendale’s art and music library, the Brand Library & Art Center.

Billings holds a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Washington. Her career has included stints at a nuclear research facility library in Switzerland, the New York-based Center for Fiction, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

“Getting to know the South Pas community has been wonderful, and seeing how the citizens support and love their library confirms what a good decision it was to join the team here,” Billings said. “Working with such dedicated colleagues to implement recommendations from the Library Operations study has been an exciting and rewarding challenge.”

In her time as associate director, Billings helped implement significant improvements to the South Pasadena Library, including an upgraded public catalog interface, a Facebook page, automated email due-date reminders, new Summer Reading Program software, a new public service desk and new public computer workstations, and a self-check kiosk.

Fjeldsted, who has served as the City Library Director since 2006, retired June 27.