E-mail

Fullerton
Telephone:
  1-949-235-9542

Teaching & Professional Interests

• Information Policy
• Cultural communities and libraries

Research Interests

• Information and Society / Culture
• Cultural Perspectivews and Information Policy

Elizabeth Martinez

Lecturer

Elizabeth Martinez is the former Executive Director of the American Library Association (ALA), director of the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL), and the Orange County Public Library (OCPL) system.

Ms. Martinez was profiled on the AMC "Cool Women" program for her proposal to Bill Gates that resulted in $200 million to connect over 4000 public libraries in poor communities to the Internet. Her ALA Goal 2000 program established the Office for Information Technology Policy, expanded the Washington Office, and created the $1.5 million Spectrum Initiative of 150 scholarships for librarians of color. She opened the new LAPL Central Library, and established the Foundation of the LAPL. She built nine community libraries for OCPL, and established the Asian Pacific Islander, Black, Chicano, and Native American resource centers for the County of Los Angeles.

Ms. Martinez received the Pen West Award, Hispanic Librarian of the Year, MANA Award and others, and was one of the 100 most influential Hispanics. She is an advisor for the Knowledge River program at the University of Arizona, and the Simmons College Professor of Practice program.

Courses Taught

• > [275] Library Services for Racially & Ethnically Diverse Communities
• > [281] Seminar in Contemporary Issues [Information Policy & Cultural Perspectives]
• > [294] Professional Experience: Internships

Education

• M.A. (Library Science) University of Southern California
• B.A. (Latin American Studies) University of California, Los Angeles

Academic & Professional Experience

• Lecturer, School of Library & Information Science, San José State University (1999-current)
• Adjunct Faculty, University of Arizona, School of Information Resources & Library Science (2001-current)
• Adjunct Faculty, University of California, Los Angeles (1998-2003)
• Executive Director, American Library Association (1994-1997)
• City Librarian, Los Angeles Public Library (1990-1994)
• County Librarian, Orange County CA (1979-1990)
• Chief of Public Services and other positions, Los Angeles County Public Library (1966-1979).

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