Salvador Avila

For immediate release
Contact: Alicia K. Long
REFORMA Public Relations
pr@reforma.org

2014 REFORMA Librarian of the Year Announced


Bradenton FL. June 3, 2014. - REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking, is pleased to announce that Salvador Avila is the recipient of The Dr. Arnulfo D. Trejo Librarian of the Year (LOTY) Award. The award recognizes early to mid-career library professionals who have promoted and advocated services to the Spanish-speaking and Latino communities.

 

Mr. Avila works as Manager of the Enterprise Branch of the Las Vegas Clark County Library District.  He received his Master’s degree in Library Science from the University of Arizona and was selected for the Executive Leadership Institute sponsored by the Urban Library Council.  He is the author of Crash Course in Serving Spanish-Speakers (Libraries Unlimited, 2008) and Serving Latino Teens (Libraries Unlimited, 2012.)  Previous honors include being named as a Library Journal “Mover and Shaker” in 2006 and as the Criticas Librarian of the Year in 2003.







Mr. Avila has taken on leadership roles in local, state and national organizations.  He is a co-founder of the Nevada Chapter of REFORMA and has served on numerous committees for REFORMA, including the Pura Belpré Award Selection Committee.  As a member of the American Library Association Council, he was instrumental in passing a resolution in support of the rights of immigrants to use libraries regardless of their nationality or status. He has given numerous presentations at library conferences on serving the Spanish-speaking, concentrating primarily on serving families and teens. 

In 2012 the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District received one of twelve Learning Lab planning grants awarded in the United States.  Mr. Avila developed a program for his branch on training to be a DJ aimed at giving teens experience with the technology needed to become a DJ.  As Jeanne Goodrich, director of LVCCLD stated, “He creates a safe space for teens to learn from an accomplished adult.” The “Learn to DJ” program exposed teens to “real world” job skills, providing them with opportunities to develop their ability to be an entry level DJ.

Nominators described Mr. Avila as someone who “has his own style and certainly doesn’t look like a librarian.”  His advocacy and passion for librarianship was cited by the nominators, as well as his commitment to the Latino community that he serves.  Mr. Avila serves as an inspiration to young Latinos who are looking for positive male role models.  In the words of Jose Aponte, director of the San Diego County Library, “Salvador’s selfless dedication to equity in public services” embodies the attributes of leadership, dedication, and commitment to the Latina/o community that were espoused by Dr. Arnulfo Trejo, the founder of REFORMA.

Established in 1971 as an affiliate of the American Library Association (ALA), REFORMA has actively sought to promote the development of library collections to include Spanish-language and Latino oriented materials; the recruitment of more bilingual and multicultural library professionals and support staff; the development of library services and programs that meet the needs of the Latino community; the establishment of a national information and support network among individuals who share our goals; the education of the U.S. Latino population with regard to the availability and types of library services; and lobbying efforts to preserve existing library resource centers serving the interests of Latinos. Nationally, there are 26 REFORMA chapters. For more information on REFORMA, please visit www.reforma.org

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