LOS ANGELES : Director of Minneapolis Library Hired by L.A.

The director of the Minneapolis Public Library will become Los Angeles’ new city librarian, officials have announced.

Susan Goldberg Kent will succeed Elizabeth Martinez, who left this year to become executive director of the American Library Assn.

As head of the Los Angeles Public Library, Kent will oversee the renovated and expanded Central Library, 66 branches, four bookmobiles and a $37.4-million operating budget.

“Susan is superbly qualified for this job,” Library Commission President Gary Ross said. “In addition to her vast expertise, she brings an energy and dynamism that will propel this library system into the future.”

Mayor Richard Riordan said Kent will be “a wonderful addition” to the city.

“Libraries are a special passion of mine, and I honestly can’t imagine anyone better to guide this system and to make it prosper,” he said.

Kent, who has worked in Minneapolis since 1990, said she is looking forward to coming to Los Angeles. She also has experience providing consulting services to libraries and nonprofit institutions in the areas of organization and board development, fund-raising, marketing and public relations, training, networking and resource-sharing.

Before going to Minneapolis, she was deputy director of the Tucson Public Library for 6 1/2 years and managing director of the Arizona Theatre Company for two years.