[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17828]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING DAVID SABSAY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. LYNN C. WOOLSEY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 17, 2010

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of David 
Sabsay, father of the Sonoma County Library, who passed away on March 
20, 2010, at his home in Sebastopol, California. His passion and 
leadership strengthened our public libraries not only in Sonoma County, 
but across California, transforming education and fostering civic 
engagement for youth and adults.
  Born in Waltham, Massachusetts in 1931, David Sabsay came to Santa 
Rosa in 1956 after receiving his graduate degree in library science at 
the University of California at Berkeley. At 25, Mr. Sabsay was the 
youngest head librarian in the state, and he was already envisioning 
the vibrant, integrated public library system he knew Californians 
needed.
  Mr. Sabsay wasted no time in pursuing this vision, and his skill as a 
library advocate quickly earned him a place of respect in the community 
and a record of hard-earned victories. On multiple occasions he served 
as chair of the Government Relations Committee of the California 
Library Association, and by 1971 he had become the organization's 
president. He founded and became the first coordinator of the North Bay 
Cooperative Library System, a six-county resource-sharing network and 
the first cooperative library system in the western United States.
  In a career dedicated to improving library services in Sonoma County, 
Mr. Sabsay also brought his expertise to debates on library support in 
Sacramento. In 1978, in order to secure a sufficient stream of funding 
for California libraries, he helped author legislation establishing 
state financing for local libraries and encouraging county 
contributions. This legislation continues to serve all Californians as 
a safeguard against the loss of an essential public asset and as a 
reminder of our stake in its future.
  Mr. Sabsay was perhaps best known for his instrumental backing of a 
unified library system in Sonoma County. In 1975, his work led to the 
signing of the joint-powers agreement--the first such agreement for a 
library system in California--that established the institution we rely 
on today. During his tenure as director of Sonoma County Library, Mr. 
Sabsay even oversaw the construction of the central library and nine 
regional branches as his county network expanded to serve one of the 
strongest per capita memberships in the state. Mr. Sabsay retired in 
1992 but remained an active consultant on library development, funding, 
and operations.
  David Sabsay was predeceased by his wife Helen. He is survived by his 
brother.
  Madam Speaker, I ask you to join me in celebrating the life of a man 
who dedicated himself to serving the people of Sonoma County and 
California. We have all benefitted from his work on behalf of knowledge 
and public education, and from his example as a tireless advocate for 
one of the civic institutions most important in our democracy.

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