2009 Eureka! Leadership Institute: Jan Sanders

Jan Sanders, Director of Libraries and Information Services for the City of Pasadena, came to town in 2005 from Spokane, WA. She has been in libraries for more than 30 years, serving as children's librarian, bookmobile librarian, branch manager, community college librarian, and library construction supervisor before becoming a director in 1990. Her career has led her to Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Washington, and now California.

Jan has always been 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, membership chair and currently sits on the governing Council for this 67,000-member organization. She has also long been affiliated with the Public Library Association of American, and served as president in 2008.

Because she believes a Librarian is first and foremost accountable to the community she serves, Jan is also active in a number of community organizations. She is a member, 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 past member of the board for Leadership Pasadena. Jan also takes every opportunity to speak about (and for) libraries, and often addresses classes at Pasadena Community College about becoming a librarian and what that means.

In her spare time, Jan likes to hike, read, and stroll around Pasadena. She also spends time with her daughter, Sara, a resident of North Hollywood who is a supervising producer for independent television.

She is honored and excited to be a part of this Eureka! experience. She has helped a number of "baby librarians" along the way in her professional life, and welcomes this chance to share what she has discovered in her 30-year journey—good, bad, effective or not.