Ken Memories - John Guscott

Mr. Warren was a very remarkable individual.  

I doubt that anybody reading this who had met Mr. Warren would say otherwise; nor would they say that he had not impacted them in some way.

The first time I met Kenneth Warren, I was twenty-one and nervous. As I shook his hand, I referred to him as “Mr. Warren,” in part out of respect, and in part to better my chances of getting a job. For the next twenty years of my career, it felt weird to call him anything other than “Mr. Warren”...and it still does.

I got the job, and started working part-time at Lakewood Public Library on May 27, 1993. I had hope for more hours, and so, later, proposed some technology-related ideas to him. Those proposals, and his openness to change, ultimately led to the creation of the Library’s Technology Center, among many other things that ensured that Lakewood’s library system was well-equipped for the digital age.

Mr. Warren was a true visionary. His deep insights into demography, politics, history, psychology, philosophy, technology, anthropology, religion, music, literature and poetry were not only far-reaching, but intertwined and integrated. He was a systems thinker, and could synthesize sociological factors in multiple ways. I remember having many great discussions on these topics while dining on the Lake Erie perch special, with fries, at George’s Kitchen up on 130th (one of his favorite places to eat at in the ‘90s/’00s).

Mr. Warren was a great librarian. He knew the Library’s collection well, and had a passion for keeping the Library a traditional institution as we approached the 21st Century. I always admired his commitment to cultural programs at the library - the “Sunday with the Friends” series, and many other programming efforts, set the standard for free cultural programs for the Lakewood community, and, as we often discussed, added cultural impact to the West Side.

There are too many stories I can tell about watching Mr. Warren in action - he was a consummate pro. One of my favorite moments happened quite early in my career - there was a massive school visit one day, and he was standing near the entrance.  This sea of kids came in, boisterous and happy, and the children’s librarians, the school teachers, and library staff were trying to control the unruly flow. Mr. Warren stood there (he had a favorite post on top of the entrance stairs), observing everything, and turned to me, huge smile on his face, and said “this is what it’s all about…”

I was always intrigued by Mr. Warren’s many sides. We talked a lot about underground music, and he discussed with me his times in the 80’s as a DJ for WUJC, playing avant garde music, as well as his writing for Alternative Press magazine and various punk zines. He also ran a highly-regarded (and very collectible) poetry zine called “House Organ” for many years, which is prized by numerous universities and private collections around the world. Mr. Warren shared many of those issues with me, for which I am grateful.

Sadly, I never really got the chance to see or talk to Mr. Warren much after his retirement. I saw lots of pictures of him post-LPL on Facebook and The Lakewood Observer, but never got a chance to reminisce with him about the old days at LPL, to see how we was doing, what he was reading, what he was thinking about. I’ll always have a huge hole in my heart that I cannot pay him deep respect or let him know what an important figure he was and is in my life, and I regret that I’ll never have one more chance to talk with him again.

I only have the memories, and the values that he shared with and instilled in me, which I’m extremely lucky to have. Thank you for everything, Mr. Warren.

John Guscott