Job Position or MLIS Program

Catalog Manager at the Los Angeles Public Library.

Primary Responsibilities at Work

In my role as Catalog Manager, I am part of a team of librarians and support staff in charge of providing and maintaining bibliographic access to the library’s collection, which contains over 6.5 million items and includes materials actively collected in over 30 languages. I also serve on the LAPL Spanish Translation Team, which provides Spanish-language translations for library programs, LAPL website pages, and promotional materials.

How does your work align with service to Latinos and Spanish-speaking communities?

The Los Angeles Public Library has a collection of over 350,000 items in Spanish and my department is responsible for creating catalog records (many original) in Spanish to make those items easily findable for library patrons.

Gratifying aspects of your work

It is wonderful to be a part of making our large collection of Spanish-language materials for children, young adults, and adults easily findable for patrons through Spanish catalog records and working with enthusiastic, dedicated, and creative colleagues who are also passionate about serving the Spanish-speaking community.

Some words of advice to other librarians and/or present and future MLIS students

I’ve found that once you identify a need that is not being met, it gets easier to generate ideas and unite with others around how to meet those needs and transform communities.

Previous programs that you have done

I’ve had the great pleasure of contributing to bilingual storytimes; bilingual STEAM programs; book selections at international Spanish-language book fairs including FIL Guadalajara, LIBER Barcelona, and FIL Buenos Aires as part of LAPL's Sister Libraries relationship; mentor for LAPL’s Diversity and Inclusion Apprenticeship program; Los Angeles Mexican Consulate Juana Inés de la Cruz salon de lectura renovation/weeding project; blogs and Twitter promotion in Spanish of Spanish-language library resources; and book list contributor for the REFORMA newsletter.