Rivkah Sass—Librarian of the Year 2006

Rivkah Sass, Library Journal’s Librarian of the Year for 2006, talks about what she’s done with Omaha Public Library, and where she’s come from. Of particular note: she came from Multnomah County Public Library in Portland, OR which has spawned other great library directors like Seattle Public’s Deborah Jacobs (and one of my favorite librarians and friend Sara Ryan)

Rivkah Sass is a librarian unafraid of, indeed energized by, risk, happy to force change, and rooted in a library philosophy of service and “give ’em what they want.” A teller of truth, willing to risk the consequences. A person boiling over with enthusiasm for people and passion for librarianship. Couple these with a career odyssey that has taken her to all kinds of libraries, both as manager and front-line worker, and you have the ingredients for an exceptional “Librarian of the Year.”