Janis O'Driscoll

Janis O'Driscoll has been Coordinator of Youth Services for the Santa Cruz Public Libraries for 17 years. She has also worked in libraries in Texas, New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania-always in youth services or outreach.

"The universe is made of stories, not atoms," (Muriel Rukeyser) and what better place to be assured of that than the public library. Janis has a particular interest in the ways that libraries can be active members of their communities-encouraging all community stories to be recognized, shared, and respected.

She has a BA and an MA in Literature from the State University of New York-Potsdam and an MLS from Simmons College. Janis has served on several CLA and ALA committees and is currently Chair of CLA's Intellectual Freedom Committee. She has written several articles about library service to children and young adults.

In her other life, Janis is a printmaker who hand prints monotypes in her studio-formerly known as the kitchen.