Pubradio commentator hailed as Librarian of the Year

Nancy Pearl, a regular commentator on NPR's Morning Edition, Seattle's KUOW and Tulsa's KWGS, was named Librarian of the Year by Library Journal, the magazine announces in its issue next week. The University of Washington professor developed the widely imitated One City, One Book citywide book discussions in 1998 before she retired from the Seattle Public Library. A former librarian in Detroit and Tulsa, Pearl remains already one of very few library science personalities to have an action figure made in her image (with shushing action, $8.95 for standard or $12.95 for deluxe). Though Pearl still loves printed books, she admits to occasional reading on her iPad. She pointed out one advantage to Library Journal: “Romance readers I watch love the technology. They can download all the romances, and nobody will see the covers.”