Libraries are having a moment in American culture both as flashpoints for controversy and positive expressions of what librarian and TikTok influencer Mychal Threets calls “Library Joy.” Libraries are also at a crossroads in a time when finding a book online is just a few clicks away and any information we need is almost instantly at our fingertips. How will libraries grow and flourish in the future?
Those topics and more are the focus of a discussion between Monterey Library and Museum Director Brian Edwards and Monterey County Weekly Staff Writer Pam Marino for a Mic’d Up @The Press Club discussion from 12:30-1:30pm, Thursday, March 7, about the current status of libraries, their critical role as community spaces, plus finding library joy. The discussion includes time for audience questions.
Edwards has spent his entire life in libraries. He grew up in Fremont where his mom was a librarian and storyteller—a core memory of his is riding to the library after school and hanging out in the stacks waiting for his mom to get off work. He worked for 22 years for the Alameda County library system, working his way up from entry level to division director for the Fremont Libraries.
In August 2022 Edwards was hired by the City of Monterey to lead California’s first library and oversee the city’s three museums. He holds a bachelor’s degree in studio art and master’s degrees in both library science and public administration management.