Have library card, will spokesmodel

All the big names do it. Cosby. Sarandon. Abdul-Jabbar. Ali. So why not Antonovich, Knabe, Molina, Ridley-Thomas and Yaroslavsky?

Taking a page from the national READ! campaign, the county’s public library department has decided to enlist some in-house talent for its latest poster blitz. The five Los Angeles County supervisors, each holding a favorite book, are featured in the new posters, created using a special software provided by the American Library Association, that will go up in the county’s 85 libraries over the next few weeks.

These are challenging times for libraries everywhere; the new proposed county budget would cut hours at some branches and eliminate the adult literacy program. But the mission remains the same: promoting reading and literacy throughout diverse communities. Here’s an early peek at the posters, along with a few words from each supervisor about the book they chose.

Supervisor Gloria Molina
1st District

Rain of Gold

by Víctor E. Villaseñor

I chose Victor Villaseñor’s Rain of Gold because it is an epic Mexican-American story. The book tells the tale of Juan and Lupe Salvador as they fled from Revolutionary-era Mexico to the United States in search of a better life. Villaseñor always insisted that Rain of Gold was a non-fiction account of his family history, which is probably why his descriptions of 1920s and 30s Southern California are so vivid — and why the book itself is such a great read.

Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas
2nd District

Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud, A Memoir

by Cornel West

I chose this book because Cornel West is a native Californian and one of our nation’s foremost public intellectuals. He is a brilliant, passionate and courageous scholar dedicated to making the world better. I’ve been fortunate to carry on a 30-year conversation with Dr. West and firmly believe we could all learn from his writings — the latest of which is his memoir, “Living and Loving Out Loud.”

Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky
3rd District

The March of Folly

by Barbara Tuchman

The March of Folly, by Barbara Tuchman, has become my bible in the making of public policy. Her assertion that folly is “a perverse persistence in a policy that is demonstrably unworkable,” should guide decision-makers in every walk of life, especially in government. I have long recommended this volume to newly elected officials, and I refer to it constantly as a reminder of the “do’s” and “don’ts” in decision-making.

Supervisor Don Knabe
4th District

The Chronicles of Narnia

by C.S. Lewis

This classic book has special meaning for the Probation Department’s Operation Read program, which I helped create and fund more than a decade ago. A few years back, Lewis’ book was the annual choice of Operation Read. Great books like this represent the backbone of what Operation Read is all about–building literacy skills among thousands of participating young people, helping them gain knowledge and move more successfully into their futures.

Supervisor Michael Antonovich
5th District

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

by C.S. Lewis

The first book in the C.S. Lewis series, “The Chronicles of Narnia,’ is a Judeo-Christian allegorical tale of temptation, transformation and redemption that challenges readers of all ages to exercise their minds and imaginations. It is a brilliant and powerful story my children and I enjoyed reading together and that I would recommend parents share with theirs.

Posted 4-21-10