Senator Carol Liu to Honor Pasadena Public Library Director as Woman of the Year

 

State Senator Carol Liu will honor Pasadena Public Library director Jan Sanders on Friday, March 28, as among the five 2014 Women of the Year.

Sanders and the other honorees will be recognized for their accomplishments and contributions in their communities.

“I am pleased to recognize these extraordinary women,” Liu said. “Many times individuals who make the biggest difference in society go unnoticed. Honoring these ‘Women of the Year’ provides an opportunity to thank those who have selflessly worked towards a greater good.”

Sanders has 30 years of experience working in different libraries in Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Washington and California.

She served as a children’s, bookmobile and community college librarian, branch manager and construction supervisor. But the best job she had, she said, was being the director of the Pasadena Public Libraries.

“I’ve been involved in libraries in a variety of roles. None as much fun as being director,” Sanders said. “Being a director is the best and certainly for a city like Pasadena, that really holds its libraries in highest esteem but also to a very high standard. It’s fun to direct that kind of community.”

Sanders said she always tried to assess the needs of Pasadena public library users including the demand for of e-books.

“One of the things that we’re really proud of is that we were one of the first libraries to offer e-books on the Cloud,” she said. “One of the things we’re hoping to do this coming year is to integrate the platform so that the users won’t have to go to two or three places to find the e-books that they want.”

The library director also plans to redesign the spaces inside the libraries so that it can also cater to people who want to meet in groups.

“We’re just really trying to stay in tuned and in touch with the people we serve so that we continue to be the kind of library that they want to have in their community,” she said.

Sanders has also been an an advocate of free expression and access and was one of 100 people named to the Intellectual Freedom Hall of Fame in 1999. She is active in the American Library Association, where she has served in a variety of roles including national chair for federal legislative action.

She has also long been affiliated with the Public Library Association of America, where she has served as president.

In addition, Sanders is also active in a number of community organizations. She is a board member and committee chair for Pasadena Rotary Club, works with the Chamber of Commerce and the Pasadena Arts Council, is a member of All Saints Episcopal Church, and is a former member of the board for Leadership Pasadena.

Each year State Senators honor women in their districts who have made unique and often unsung contributions to enhance the quality of life for others.

Another Pasadena woman included in the honorees is Margaret Mgrublian, who is currently on the board of the Pasadena Community Foundation and the Armenian International Women’s Association and serves on the Southern California Regional Council of the Armenian Assembly of America.

Mgrublian was also the president of the Westridge School Parent Association and was the chair of its Summer Opportunities Fair. She also dedicated her time and resources to causes that inspired her including Mother’s Club, AIDS Service Center, Cancer Support Community, Haven House and St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church.

The other Women of the Year awardees that Liu will recognize on Friday are Caron Nunez of La Crescenta, president of Lincoln Training Center; Anita Gabrielian of Glendale, regional vice president of external affairs for AT&T; and Sister Terry Dodge of Claremont, executive director for Crossroads, Inc.