Joan Johnson is the first African American woman and the fourth woman to be named City Librarian in Milwaukee. Her route to become City Librarian was circuitous and has come full circle. Growing up, she enjoyed weekly visits to the neighborhood library and has always been an avid reader. She also spent a lot of time in the library as a student at West Division High School (now Milwaukee School of the Arts), where she was a library monitor.
After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in interior design and art, Johnson worked on set designs in Buffalo, New York before returning to Milwaukee to further her career as a designer. She lived in Chicago for a time, working on the “The Untouchables” film and eventually moved to Seattle. There, she worked in politics and arts administration, and freelanced as a researcher for other designers, Johnson’s research soon led her back to the library working part-time and, at the nudging of her employer, she returned to school to earn a master’s degree in library sciences, specializing in bibliographic instruction and government information.
“Being in the library felt like home. I spent a lot of time in libraries researching for the political campaign and for design projects I worked on before taking a part time position with the Seattle library system. My supervisor encouraged me to get a degree in Library Science and provided me with a full scholarship to attend the University of Washington where I earned a master’s degree in Library Science,” said Johnson.
During her 15-year tenure with Seattle’s library system, Johnson spent much of her time rebuilding libraries.
“Because of my design knowledge, I was able to work effectively alongside architects, assisting them with Seattle library’s rebuilding program. I could never have imagined a career that meshed these two disciplines—library science and interior design—better,” said Johnson.
These days Johnson, who labels herself as a ‘people person’ spends a great deal of her time communicating with various library stakeholders, including more than 300 employees, board members, volunteers, patrons, and public officials.
“I started hosting all-staff town hall meetings via Zoom so that staff can have time with me. I need to be available to my employees, as well as constituents. This approach helps streamline the process and has been well received,” said Johnson.
Johnson is hopeful that as long as libraries keep up with changing times—especially technology— they will always be relevant.
“At one point I thought that books might become obsolete, but there’s a physicality with books that you can’t get with audio books and electronic markers can’t replace the ‘dog-eared’ pages of a book. The library offers options for everyone. You can peek through our ‘virtual branch,’ download content, including books, streaming video and music,” or you can physically hold a book. We also have options for people who have disabilities,” said Johnson.
Johnson is especially proud of some of the many library resources available to teachers and students.
“We have a homework portal called “Brainfuse” where students can access homework help or engage with ‘live’ tutors to get help with papers and essays or have them scored by certified teachers. Also, in partnership with AmeriCorps members (called near-peers)—MPL helps young people develop a love of reading, increases information literacy skills, and establishes relationships with youth that bridge the gap between in and out of school learning. Students develop relationships with their near-peers, help them take advantage of STEAM programs, and teens can select projects that align with their interests.
“Knowledge is power and libraries are extremely important to facilitate that. Any city that has a healthy library system is a city of hope. People don’t realize how much we’re doing to support them and helping them realize their full potential,” said Johnson.
We see you and hear you, Joan Johnson. And we thank you for your expertise and vision that ensures the longevity and relevance of libraries. Libraries are diamond that open the doors to possibilities.
For more information about the Milwaukee Public Library and its resources, visit www.mpl.org/.