Fred Ciporen, former head of Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and School Library Journal for many years, died September 4. He was 87.
 |
|
| Fred Ciporen | |
As noted in PW's obituary, Fred "taught history at three different universities before getting into the publishing business at Fairchild Publications. Immediately prior to joining Cahners, he was publisher of Computer Decisions magazine." In 1988, he was named publisher of LJ and SLJ, and then a few years later became publisher of PW, too.
Fred was unusually creative and challenging, changing much about the magazines and how they covered the book world. He became a major advocate for libraries, emphasizing their importance to publishers. At PW, he expanded coverage beyond the publishing world to include bookselling, wholesaling, and distribution in deeper ways. He was a fierce supporter of free speech.
Some of us at Shelf Awareness worked at PW when Fred was in charge and were forever changed by the experience. He had a way of lighting up when hearing or telling about new ideas and new ways of looking at things. He often did and said the unexpected, which sometimes got him in trouble. Still, he was a breath of fresh air in what was a small part of a huge international conglomerate. He encouraged many of the staff to be more creative, to improve their work, look at their jobs as more than just jobs. He was also very supportive of Shelf Awareness in our early years.
Fred's funeral will take place today at 11:30 a.m. at Plaza Jewish Community Chapel at 630 Amsterdam Ave. in New York City. The family suggests that in his memory plant trees in Israel, donate to the Brooklyn Public Library, or donate to a favorite charity in his name. --John Mutter