In honor of Women’s History Month, the Sentinel spotlights Skye Patrick, director and CEO of L.A. County Library (LACL). She oversees the county’s 86 public libraries and is its first African American director. The following is an edited version of the discussion with Patrick.

“Folks look up to the James Irvine Foundation Award because it’s one of California’s biggest, most prominent awards, and arguably on the West Coast. There has never been anyone in the library field to receive it, so that’s pretty fantastic,” said the director.