Skye Patrick

Skye-Ephifanie Patrick is an American librarian, named Library Journal's Librarian of the Year in 2019. She has been Library Director of the Los Angeles County library system since February 2016 and was its first African American director.[1][2][3]

John Szabo and Skye Patrick in 2017

She oversees the county' 87 libraries which serves 3.5 million people with an annual operating budget of over $200 million.[4][5] Under Patrick's leadership the library started a fines-forgiveness program where patrons under 21 can "read away" their late fees, resulting in 13,000 previously blocked accounts being reinstated.[6] The library also rolled out ten "Maker mobiles" and five early literacy mobiles and opened a full-service library at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall, partnering with the Los Angeles County Probation Department.[7]

Prior to working for the LA County library system, Patrick was the Director of Libraries for Broward County, Florida where she was the second African American, the first openly LGBTQ person, and first woman to hold the position.[7] Before that she was Assistant Director of the Queens Public Library.[2]

Patrick was the recipient of a 2020 Stanton Fellowship from the Durfee Foundation.[8] She serves on the executive board of the Urban Libraries Council, a position she's held since July 2017.[5][9]

Early life and education

Patrick grew up in Lansing, Michigan where she was partially in foster care.[10] She worked as a library page while in high school and graduated from Northern Michigan University in 1996 with a bachelor of fine arts degree.[10] While at NMU, she helped create the Ten Percent Club which became the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersexed Student Union.[11] Her master’s degree in library and information science is from the University of Pittsburgh.[10]

Patrick is married to arts educator Dawn Robinson-Patrick and the two have one daughter.

References
  1. "LA County Library". LA County Library. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  2. "Skye Patrick Becomes First African-American Library Director for the County Library". Los Angeles Sentinel. 2016-02-17. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  3. Wallman, Brittany (2016-01-04). "Broward loses libraries director to L.A. County". sun-sentinel.com. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  4. California, NBC Southern (2019-02-09). "Turning the Page: The Unfinished Story of LA County's Library Director". NBC Los Angeles. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  5. "Skye Patrick". LA County Management Council. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  6. "Los Angeles County libraries allow kids to read away late fees". CBS News. 2022-01-16. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  7. Peet, Lisa (2019-01-29). "Celebrating Skye Patrick, Librarian of the Year - ALA Midwinter 2019". Library Journal. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  8. "Skye Patrick". The Durfee Foundation. 2019-11-21. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  9. "Skye Patrick, Director of LA County Library, Community Impact Award Honoree". Innovate@UCLA. 2020-10-05. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  10. Tiano, Sara (2018-08-30). "L.A.'s Head Librarian, a Former Foster Youth, is Putting a New Spin on Career Development Opportunities". The Imprint. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  11. "Skye Patrick Oral History Interview". The NMU Archives Collection Guide. 2016-09-14. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
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