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Clearwater library director to depart

The five-branch system's leader since 1999, John Szabo will leave for Atlanta's much larger operation. An interim director has been named.

By AARON SHAROCKMAN
Published February 28, 2005

CLEARWATER - The city library director who presided over the construction of the $20.2-million Main Library and challenged Gov. Jeb Bush's plan to close the State Library will step down next month to head one of the country's largest library systems.

John Szabo, who has run Clearwater's five-branch system since 1999, will become Atlanta's library director starting April 15, the city has announced.

"It was a very difficult decision despite being a wonderful opportunity," said Szabo, 36, who previously served as Palm Harbor Public Library director and was also a former president of the Florida Library Association. "I have absolutely enjoyed my tenure in Clearwater. It is a wonderful community to serve as a library director."

Keith Chadwell, Fulton County's deputy county manager who oversees the Atlanta library system, said Szabo was widely praised by colleagues when Chadwell visited Clearwater recently. The 34-branch Atlanta system serves all of Fulton County and has 400 employees and a budget of $32-million. Clearwater's library has 96 employees and a $5.8-million budget.

"He infected us all with his energy and vitality," he said. "He wants to be a part of this system. We hope he can take us to the next level."

Clearwater officials rued their loss as news spread last Friday. Kathy Dort, Clearwater Main Library manager, will become interim director until a permanent replacement is named.

Jan Regulski, chairwoman of the city's library advisory board, said Szabo's new job is a deserved step up. City Manager Bill Horne said Szabo did well by the city.

"He has the capacity to manage a bigger system than ours," Horne said. "He has the capacity to be one of the premier library directors in the country."

While in Clearwater, Szabo shepherded the reconstruction of two of the city's five library locations, the Main Library and the North Greenwood Branch Library, a $1.3-million project.

The new 90,000-square-foot Main Library has become a city showpiece overlooking Coachman Park downtown, and is the envy of librarians across the country.

Officials from Darien, Conn., will tour the four-story structure Tuesday hoping to borrow ideas for their new library. Darien library director Louise Berry said Clearwater's principal library has a national reputation.

From everything Berry hears, "it sounds like some innovative stuff," she said.

Another group from West Orange, N.J., has already visited the Osceola Avenue library.

"It's rewarding to be able to walk through this building and talk to patrons and librarians from all over after having sat in endless meetings discussing every right angle and curve and piece of Formica and drywall in this entire building," said Szabo, whose salary was $85,696 annually. "It's special."

During his tenure, Szabo refused to apply for a federal grant for the library that would have required the city install Internet filters on library computers. In 2000, he was thrust on the national stage after a seven-months pregnant woman was arrested for overdue books. Clearwater stopped using the courts to crack down on violators, a system Szabo inherited, after the incident.

And while serving as president of the Florida Library Association, Szabo helped fight against Gov. Jeb Bush's 2003 proposal to close the State Library of Florida in Tallahassee.

"John thrived and did really great work at a time when Clearwater really needed someone that would make the buildings happen and push that system forward," said Charlie Parker, executive director of the Tampa Bay Library Consortium. "Now, he's ready for the next step. I am very impressed that the Atlanta-Fulton County people had good judgment. They got the right man."

In Atlanta, Szabo will be asked to right a library system dizzy from recent troubles. The director's position has been vacant since last May, when Mary Kaye Hooker was fired after a tumultuous five years during which she clashed with administrators. Her ouster was welcomed by many employees and was even opined by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as a "liberation."

A year earlier, eight white librarians won an $18-million settlement after alleging they were victims of reverse discrimination.

Chadwell and Szabo say the Atlanta system has improved since Hooker left. Szabo can't wait to leave his mark.

"I see all the stars in line to make this library system a success story," Szabo said.

"I look forward to helping the staff and all of the stakeholders there write that story."

[Last modified February 28, 2005, 01:04:17]