by Jerry Dear
In Asian culture, or any culture for that matter, death is a cultural taboo. Shunned like a plague, this topic often remains off limits. Out of sight, out of mind – until now, and of all places, at a public library. On December 10, 2019, the American Library Association announced the ten recipients of the annual I Love My Librarian Award. Hailing from the west coast was lifetime APALA member Janet Tom of the San Francisco Public Library. This national award, nominated by community members, honors librarians who have played an integral role by impacting their communities in positive and inspiring ways. Tom was awarded this special honor due in part to her stellar “Death & Dying Series” last year.
This eight-part thematic series explored topics such as how to start a conversation around planning for one’s death, what to do with your body when you die, how various faith traditions view death, how to talk to children about death, and much more. Panelists consisted of registered nurses, therapists, religious leaders, palliative care nurses, and a host of other guest speakers who shared their insight into many end of life issues. Packed with standing room capacity of well over a hundred people, many of the programs featured hands-on workshops, panelist lectures, short film presentations, and lively discussions between the attendees and health and wellness experts.
Tom works in the Business, Science and Technology department in the Main Branch of the San Francisco Public Library. She specializes in building a collection of health and medical books, periodicals, and other resources focusing on a gamut of topics ranging from acupuncture, herbs, and yoga to cranial sacral therapy, healing modalities, and other intriguing health topics. An intrepid researcher of information with unfailing passion, she connects patrons to a world of resources, empowering them with knowledge to improve their lives.
In addition to curating a series of themed programs about end of life issues, Tom has also hosted an annual bilingual Chinese Alzheimer’s Forum, coordinated an exhibit to commemorate a 50-year anniversary of a cooperative living facility in San Francisco’s Western Addition neighborhood, served on the planning committee for the San Francisco Vegetarian Society’s annual World Vegetarian Festival, and organized the annual Lunar New Year’s dinner for the Northern California Chapter of APALA.
Community building marks a mainstay of Tom’s repertoire of expansive accomplishments. She has volunteered at the Center for Asian American Media’s Film Festival, San Francisco LGBTQ+ Film Festival, the Jewish Film Festival, and most recently, hosted a sneak preview of the Legacy Film Festival on Aging at the library. According to journalist Caitlin Moran, “A library in the middle of a community is a cross between an emergency exit, a life-raft and a festival. They are cathedrals of the mind; hospitals of the soul; theme parks of the imagination. On a cold rainy island, they are the only sheltered public spaces where you are not a consumer, but a citizen instead.” Libraries, and public libraries in particular, serve as havens for communities where people congregate to learn, exchange ideas, and engage in public discourse in a safe and welcoming space, or as Janet calls it, “a community living room.” Ultimately, not only does Tom build vibrant communities, but she cultivates lifelong learning that attracts patrons from all walks of life, fueling the essence of Ranganathan’s Fifth Law of Library Science: “The library is a growing organism.”
Selected Media Coverage
“The Most Loved Librarian in America” – San Francisco Chronicle Podcast with Heather Knight, 12/23/19
https://tinyurl.com/wqupayz
“SF Librarian Wins National Award” – NBC Bay Area Asian Pacific American News with Robert Handa, 1/6/20
https://tinyurl.com/smb5wa2
“San Francisco Librarian Makes a Living Serving Her Community” – San Francisco Examiner article by Jaya Padmanabhan, 1/23/20
https://tinyurl.com/vy2pqst
I Love My Librarian Award Ceremony at ALA Midwinter Conference 2020, 1/25/20
https://tinyurl.com/tek3zag
Editing assistance provided by Jaena Rae Cabrera.