Glen Creason was the map librarian in the History & Genealogy department^[1] at the Los Angeles Central Library, a post he held from 1979 to 2021. He is also the author of Los Angeles in Maps^[2] and is a guest writer for many publications such as Los Angeles Magazine,^[3][4] additionally serving as a public speaker on the topics of maps, local history, and music.^[5] Creason is featured in Susan Orlean's chronicle of the Central Library, The Library Book.^[6] Since 2014, Creason has been the star of a Los Angeles Public Library series called Stories from the Map Cave.^[7] He retired in October of 2021.^[8]

Early life

Creason's family descended from immigrants from the British Isles who came to America in the 1760s. Growing up in South Gate, Creason attended Catholic school.^[9] As a kid, his father sent him to sell programs at the Coliseum for real-world job experience.^[9] Over time, Creason lived in many areas of L.A., including Silverlake, Long Beach, West Los Angeles, and Culver City.^[9]

Career

Creason worked at the Herald Examiner library for two years after college, then was offered a job at a library in San Dimas as a children's librarian.^[10] He started as a reference librarian at the Central Library in 1979.

Feathers map collection

Creason was the librarian called when an enormous map collection was discovered at a private residence in Los Angeles in 2012.^[11] It was absorbed into the library's collection, doubling its size. Creason is featured in the L.A. Review of Books documentary, Living History: The John Feathers Map Collection,^[12] about the collection's discovery.

Speaking engagements