Glen Creason is an American libriarian who was formerly the map librarian in the History & Genealogy department at the Los Angeles Central Library, a post he held from 1979 to 2021. He is also the author of Los Angeles in Maps and is a guest writer for many publications such as Los Angeles Magazine, additionally serving as a public speaker on the topics of maps, local history, and music. Creason is featured in Susan Orlean's chronicle of the Central Library, The Library Book.
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. As a kid, his father sent him to sell programs at the Coliseum for real-world job experience. Over time, Creason lived in many areas of L.A., including Silverlake, Long Beach, West Los Angeles, and Culver City.
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. He started as a reference librarian at the Central Library in 1979.
Creason retired in October 2021.
Feathers map collection Creason was the librarian called when an enormous map collection was discovered at a private residence in Los Angeles in 2012. 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, about the collection's discovery.
Speaking engagements
Date Venue/Series/Medium Subject October 28, 2010 Library Foundation of L.A.-sponsored ALOUD series, L.A. Central Library Maps and map historyJanuary 6, 2011Google: Santa Monica officesMaps and map historySeptember 16, 2011Libros Schmibros at the Hammer MuseumMaps and map historyJuly 24, 2013California State University Fullerton videoMaps and map historyOctober 2013You Can't Eat the Sunshine podcast, Episode 39: "Maps & Montezuma"Maps and map historyAug. 2014Stories from the Map Cave; a Los Angeles Public Library seriesMaps and map history
Bibliography Los Angeles in Maps (2010) LAtitudes: An Angeleno's Atlas (2015)
External links 2015 Los Angeles Times profile of Creason, "Following L.A.'s history through maps," by David Ulin 2012 Los Angeles Times profile of Creason, "Los Angeles librarian is all over the maps," by Larry Harnisch
References