Misty Jones | City Librarian, San Diego Public Library

Welcome to the twenty-third episode of The Gap Minders! Today we are so fortunate to get to talk to Misty Jones who is the City Librarian of the San Diego Public Library!

In this fun episode which covers terrain from the beaches of Alabama to the neighborhoods of San Diego, Nancy and Jose are joined in studio by Misty Jones, the passionate leader of the 37 branches of the San Diego Public Library. Misty has been the City Librarian for eight years and was on point during what turned out to be major transformational moment for libraries – the pandemic. We learn first hand from Misty how the San Diego Libraries did a hard pivot in learning what the community needed and how best to deliver the services.

And what was the one of the key things learned during the pandemic? Misty shares the digital divide which exists in San Diego and how much the libraries are relied upon by so many for wifi, email, and communication with family. And, of course, books, which they still managed to accomplish with curbside delivery. A truly amazing story of rising to the occasion to serve the public. All of this is why Misty feels she has the best job in the world, “helping people become better.”

We also learn that Misty loved to read and fondly remembers being in her room in Alabama and teaching herself to ready using “book records” for Judy Blume and other authors.

Here are some other amazing takeaways from the interview with Misty:

• The San Diego Library is working on a new Master Plan to address gaps among the
  libraries
• The “Read San Diego” literacy program is national acclaimed
• The nine-year old downtown library was an impactful renaissance moment for San Diego
• “Literacy is a library’s jam”
• “All y’all” is a cool southern saying!
• The answers to the Rapid Fire questions!

A truly fun and important conversation from a wonderful gap minder. Thank you, Misty Jones, for being passionate about literacy, gaps, digital divides and for joining us on The Gap Minders.

Enjoy this episode and be sure to subscribe to the show.

If you have any questions or want to contact Nancy or Jose, please send an email to podcast@uwsd.org. Thank you for listening.

To learn more about the two social impact organizations making The Gap Minders possible, please visit www.TheGapMinders.org.