When Jeffery Cruz was a boy growing up on Tucson’s south side, he spent hours in the summer reading amid the stacks at the Valencia branch library.
His grandfather would take him to escape the heat, but Cruz relished getting lost in the latest science fiction and fantasy titles.
One of his favorite topics was Mexican-American history.
“My grandfather was very into that aspect of history,” Cruz said. “He’d always want to have little discussions about what I read. It was a good introduction into literature and literacy.”
Now 32, Cruz has taken that early love for books and turned it into a successful career halfway around the world.
For the last three years, the University of Arizona alum has worked for the library system in Sydney, Australia, most recently as network manager of its nine branches.
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How did you end up in Australia? “I followed my partner. We did a big three-month trip around the Pacific and spent two weeks in Australia. He decided he wanted to live there. He moved there with work, and I came two years after that. I joined him after finishing my master’s degree in library science at the university.”
What is it like managing the library system in the biggest city in Australia? “It has been really tough. Two of the main library managers had left at the same time. There was a big gap in how things were run. It was very stressful my first year. It took a lot of work to build peoples’ confidence in me. I am the youngest librarian in the city. I am one of the youngest library staff members. To lead nine very experienced library branch managers took a bit of work.”
Who are some popular contemporary Australian authors? “Hannah Kent, the woman who wrote ‘Burial Rites’ about a murder in Iceland, is Aussie. I also like Anita Heiss. She is aboriginal and writes a lot of women’s literature.
“She has a really good memoir (‘Am I Black Enough for You?’). It documents her court case against a journalist who said she shouldn’t use the term aboriginal because she had some white ancestry. It was a big deal in Australia. The book also talks about her experiences growing up in the Sydney suburb of Maroubra.”
Where is your favorite place to read in Sydney? “Usually the beach. I really love a place called Camp Cove in Watsons Bay. I spend a lot of time there during the summer.”
Do you see yourself returning stateside? “I used to say yes. I’ve kind of turned a point where I’ve become comfortable. I have a good group of friends. It is pretty far from family and home, but not too far — only a 14-hour direct flight to Los Angeles, then an hour flight to Tucson. No worries.”
