Violinist Susanne Park runs "an extra mile" for Pittsburgh Libraries
By Annie Bostrom
On May 2, 2010, Susanne Park, a violinist in the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO), ran an extra mile for libraries in the Pittsburgh Marathon (rounding out to a grand total of 27.2 miles!), and in the process earned $1500 for her Friends of Lawrenceville Library group. Susanne is also a member of “Save Pittsburgh Libraries,” a grassroots group of library advocates bound by the goal of maintaining Pittsburgh’s neighborhood branch libraries by securing a more open, sustainable library system to serve the city’s residents well into the future.
Susanne has been living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her husband John Moore, a double bassist in the PSO since 1996. Their son Oliver, at only 7 years old, is a library advocate in his own right, having attended rallies and marched in children’s demonstrations in support of libraries. We here at ILL were inspired and impressed by Susanne’s gargantuan effort for libraries, and luckily she graciously agreed to answer a few questions for us.
ILoveLibraries: What role have libraries played throughout your life?
Susanne Park: Libraries have been a part of my life since an early age. I'm a first-generation Korean-American. My parents didn't speak English when they arrived in Kansas City, MO, where I grew up, but they instilled in my sisters and me a deep respect for learning and literacy. We spent many hours in our local library, checking out armloads of books. My parents' English improved through reading children's books to us. Now my mother (Therese Park) is a writer who writes in English about life in Korea. Libraries are sacred places to me, where all things seem possible - any subject you want to learn about, everything is there for the taking. People are rarely in libraries to cause trouble; most people are there to improve themselves or their lives in some way. Libraries are places of hope.
ILL: Have you participated in other marathons? If so, do you have a favorite?
SP: This was my 4th marathon. I've run races in several other cities, but Pittsburgh's my favorite, because it's my home. The course travels through beautiful and not-so-beautiful parts of town, but I love it all. The people are what make this town special - behind a sometimes rough exterior you'll always find a cheerful sense of humor, and honesty.
ILL: What made you decide to run an extra mile for libraries in the Pittsburgh marathon? What was your goal?
SP: I am not someone who enjoys attention. Hard to believe, given my career choice, but performing on stage in an orchestra is much different than trying to draw attention to something you believe in, and getting others to realize they're in danger of losing something vital to our society. I did this out of desperation. My library is one of four that is slated to close next year if more sustainable funding isn't found for our library system. Pittsburgh supports so many wonderful institutions - there is no good reason why neighborhood library branches should close, especially at a time when usage is higher than ever. I was hoping to get people, including the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's own board of trustees and management, to think about how they could "go an extra mile" for our libraries. If I can add one more mile to the end of a marathon, what small thing can others do to ensure the well-being of their libraries, for themselves and future generations?
ILL: How hard was that last mile?...Be honest! And would you do it again?
SP: The last mile wasn't as hard as I had thought it would be. My feet hurt because it rained all day and I had blisters on blisters, but I knew that family and friends were waiting for me at the end with cold beer, and a friend ran the last mile with me. I would do this again, especially if people would join me for the extra mile, literally and figuratively!
ILL: Any advice for those interested in continuing your efforts all over the country?
SP: My advice to others who'd like to "go the extra mile" for their library would be, do it now, don't put it off. Once libraries close, it's very difficult to get those doors open again, and when it happens it's more than a shame. It's a failure, to ourselves and our children, and our society.
For more information about “Save Pittsburgh Libraries,” go to their Facebook page.
Annie Bostrom is an Editorial Assistant at Booklist, a publication of the American Library Association. She has been working with I Love Libraries since 2009.