Customer service is his priority

Ask recently appointed County of Los Angeles-La Cañada Flintridge Public Library Manager Mark Totten what drew him to come here, and he’ll say it is the community-wide support for the library.

The library’s patrons have a great appreciation for the facility, Totten said. “We, the staff, don’t have to go out and sell our services. Sometimes in some communities, you have to go out and justify your existence, which here we don’t seem to have to.”

A native of New York, Totten came to California to pursue a master’s degree after working in the entertainment industry as a prop maker, where he experienced a lack of job stability. His love of working in libraries stems out of his desire to help people and give them the information they need, Totten said.

After completing his degree, his first assignment was as children’s librarian at La Crescenta Library. Later, he was appointed librarian at Westlake Village Library, where he served for three years.

Totten’s philosophy is to bend over backward for the customer.

“I know it’s a cliche, but the customer always comes first,” Totten said. “I like to see people walk out of here getting either what they want or more than what they expected.”

Times have changed in the library profession. Gone are they days, he said, of uptight librarians: “They still expect women in buns, telling people to ‘shh.’ It hasn’t been like that in 20 years. Most people are appreciative of the friendliness and the outgoingness [of the staff].”

One of the first lessons Totten learned as a graduate student came from one of his professors when he said, “If you don’t like to get up in front of people, don’t even continue with this.”

Some of Totten’s new duties will include promoting the library’s multiple online resources, including various databases, the library’s card catalog and the library’s Homework Help live chat, which connects students and educators in a live forum.

Promoting the library involves going out to the schools and turning the kids on to the various resources found within the library and teaching them how to use them.

Totten said people are still “not quite aware” of the library’s online resources. “So we do promote quite a bit here. There’s still the belief that libraries are where the books are. Or they don’t come to the library because they think it’s just books.”

Other projects Totten will be promoting includes the Friends of the La Cañada Library book sale, which will take place April 20-24 at the library. All proceeds from the sale will be given to the library, Totten said.

“I think we’re just energized and ready to help the community,” said Totten.