419 Town Center Study

Just a handful of months prior to the pandemic, Long Beach, California named its new main location after tennis legend, Billie Jean King.  I recently heard Ms. King talk about her love for her hometown, her illustrious tennis career, and the legacy she is hoping to leave behind. I often enjoy library conferences where authors talk about their new books, because at their core, libraries trade in books and information better than anyone else. And all for free. While I’m regularly amused or entertained by these author-speakers, and enjoy listening to their stories, I am less often inspired. But not with Billie Jean. I left her talk amused and entertained, sure, but also enlightened, informed, and absolutely inspired.

Ms. King’s love for people and learning shone through her words. Her belief in the potential and goodness of humankind is rare in today’s world. She emphasized the importance of relationships, pointed out that people who are good problem solvers seem to be happier in life, and called people to “keep learning and keep learning how to learn.” She said she dreams the new library will be a place where “people can connect and prosper, and be an inspiration for generations to come.”

Libraries are different from town to town and state to state, but I think all of us who have chosen this profession want people to “keep learning and keep learning about how to learn,” and that our buildings and what they offer will inspire all those who enter, “affecting generations to come.”

Billie Jean King’s new book, All In: An Autobiography, will be released August 17. It’s received starred reviews from Booklist and Publishers Weekly, and Christine Brennan says, “Her impact on our culture has been enormous and, thankfully, continues to this day.”

We’ll have it available for you in August, so make your plans now to put a copy on hold! I can’t wait to read it for myself.