Newspaper clippings · March 22, 1982
William Geller obituary and county-library profile
Los Angeles Times profile of former county librarian, including collection policy and earlier film controversy.
Text
Transcribed from the scans and checked against them by Claude. Typed text comes first; handwritten notes follow it. [illegible] marks words that cannot be read and [?] an uncertain reading.
OBITUARIES
Los Angeles Times
L.A. Had Half of Book Output
Librarian Chose 15,000 Volumes a Year for County
For 10 years William Geller had complete say on which books went on the shelves of Los Angeles County's 124 libraries.
And, as the bespectacled librarian freely admitted, his decisions were not always popular.
"Some people think I am a liberal," he said. "Some think I am a conservative. The library is there to provide information on all sides of a subject, so we sometimes get accused of carrying questionable material."
How did the administrator of one of the country's largest library systems (94 community branches, 21 libraries in county jails and hospitals and nine bookmobiles serving a 3,000-square-mile area with 3.5 million books) select reading material for 2.4 million potential borrowers?
'Not Outright Trash'
"I purchase anything that has an authentic plot and some literary value and is not outright trash."
During Geller's tenure (1963-73) the library system bought an average of 15,000 titles out of 30,000 books published annually in this country.
"We try to get into everything," Geller said. "When it comes to fiction, several of us read them. But I am the one with the final authority on selecting any (questionable) book. That is part of my legal mandate."
One of the biggest problems Geller faced was theft.
"We are probably losing about 4,500 volumes a month," Geller reported in 1972. "The ones that hurt worst are hard-to-replace reference material such as engineering handbooks or motor manuals put out by automotive corporations. We even have whole sets of encyclopedias walked off a volume at a time."
Geller was no stranger to controversy. In 1971, a Los Angeles Times editorial attacked him for "festering intellectual stagnation" when he ordered the system's 1,100 films, many of them award winners and most of them shown before on television, withdrawn from circulation. Two Hacienda Heights women had complained to County Supervisor Frank Bonelli that certain films shown at library-sponsored youth discussion groups were "anti-American, blasphemous, revolutionary and anti-business."
Geller later rescinded the order on all the films except the 19 to which the women objected. Those were later voted back into circulation by an ad hoc committee.
"I guess I lost my cool," Geller conceded later, "and I suppose lots of people are going to look at this as censorship."
'What Library Stood For'
A third-generation Angeleno, Geller was 39 when he decided to move his family to Berkeley where he enrolled in the UC School of Librarianship.
An administrative assistant to numerous county department heads before he went back to school, Geller once explained: "I worked in the high school library while a student and I liked what the library stood for, so I decided to make the change."
After receiving his library science degree in 1953, Geller returned to Los Angeles where he served as County Librarian John Henderson's assistant.
Geller was named county librarian upon Henderson's retirement in 1963.
Geller died March 12. He was 63.
-JEFF GLASS
William Geller in 1972.
Los Angeles Times
Editor Sometimes Argued With Own Printed Stands
Handwritten notes
• (top) 3/22/82
• (top, red ink) 82
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Source scan page 72
3/22/82 82 ??? Angeles Vimes VARIES L.A. Had Half of Book Output Librarian Chose 15,000 Volumes a Year for County For 10 years William Geller had complete say on which books went Times editorial attacked him for shelves of Los Angeles County's 124 libraries. "festering intellectual stagnation" when he ordered the system's 1,100 And, as the bespectacled librarian films, many of them award winners and most of them shown before on freely admitted, his decisions were not always popular. television, withdrawn from circula- tion. Two Hacienda Heights women "Some people think I am a liber- al," he said. "Some think I am a con- had complained to County Supervi- sor Frank, Bonelli that certain films servative. The library is there to provide information on all sides of a shown at library-sponsored youth discussion groups subject, so we sometimes get ac- American, blasphemous, carrying questionable tionary and anti-business." How did the administrator of one Geller later rescinded the order on all the films except the 19 tc of the country's largest library sys- tems (94 community branches, 21 were later voted back into circula- which the women objected. Those libraries in county jails and hospi- tals and nine bookmobiles serving a tion by an ad hoc committee. 3,000-square-mile area with "I guess I lost my cool," Geller million books) select reading conceded later, "and I suppose lots material for 2.4 million potential of people are going to look at this as borrowers? censorship." Not Outright Trash' What Library Stood For' "I purchase anything that has an A third-generation Angeleno, authentic plot and some literary Geller was 39 when he decided to value and is not outright trash." move his family to Berkeley where he enrolled in the UC School of Li- During Geller's tenure (1963-73) the library system bought an aver- brarianship. age of 15,000 titles out of 30,000 An administrative assistantto books published annually in this numerous county department heads before he went back to school, Gel- country. "We try to get into everything," ler once explained: "I worked in the Geller said. "When it comes to fic- high school library while a student tion, several of us read them, But I and I liked what the library stood am the one with the final authority on selecting any (questionable) for, so change I decided to make the book. That is part of my legal man- After receiving his library date." science degree in 1953, Geller re- Los Angeles Times as One of the biggest problems Gel- turned to Los Angeles where he ler faced was theft. William Geller in 1972. served as County Librarian John Henderson's assistant. "We are probably losing about 4,- 500 volumes a month," Geller re- ef out by automotive corporations. We Geller was named county librari- 10 ported in 1972. "The ones that hurt worst are hard-to-replace refer- even have whole sets of encyclope- an upon Henderson's retirement in to dias walked off a volume at a time." 1963. a ence material such as engineering handbooks or motor manuals put Geller was no stranger to con- Geller died March 12. He was 63. -JEFF GLASS troversy. In 1971, a Los Angeles Editor Sometimes Argued With Own Printed Stands ournalist he added, "I lunched nearly every- dav with some friand ..