Job position and place of employment

Alder Graduate School of Education, Bay Area, California

Current MLIS program and/or educational background

EdD in Educational Leadership, California State University, Fresno

Master of Library Sciences, City University of New York, Queens College

Bachelor of Arts in History and Master of Arts in East Asian Studies, St. John's University

What are your primary responsibilities at work?

As a solo librarian, my responsibilities vary. Academic research, writing and information literacy support for graduate students and teachers. Collection development for Education, Childhood Studies, Literacy, English-Language Learners, Social Studies, STEM Education, Distance Learning, and Bilingual Education/World Languages. I also provide support for scholarly communications, copyright compliance training, and help identify open educational resources and open access publications. In addition, I communicate with vendors, set up trials, manage e-resources, and assess usage. Important technical services work!

How does your work impact Latinx and Spanish-speaking communities?

I work closely with teachers and faculty teaching Bilingual Education. I identify course texts and articles focusing on culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) in this area. Some of the educators offer bilingual sessions (English/Spanish) in K-12 classrooms or in the graduate courses, so I work on selecting appropriate ebooks in Spanish and Spanish teaching pedagogy books as well.

Share with us some gratifying aspects of your work.

My work is deeply relationship-centered. I enjoy supporting students' needs from research to writing to accessibility services. I exercise compassion and patience during this difficult time for all. I also see that my work is equity-driven. I am always finding ways to reduce textbook costs using open educational resources. I aim to uplift our teachers and educators who are supporting diverse communities of learners!

Offer words of advice to other colleagues and/or present and future MLIS students.

Volunteer for committee work as soon as you can! I understand everyone's capacity but it's a great way to find mentors or colleagues you can talk to outside of your organization! REFORMA is an excellent place to start!

Tell us about programs/projects you have worked on or are working on, either at work or with REFORMA.

I am currently serving on the International Relations Committee. I am excited to connect global projects and activities to REFORMA! When I was Chair of the committee in 2018-2019, we created a chart about "Library Organizations and Associations in Latin America," and it was a great way to share connections of REFORMA members with other library associations for potential collaborations. It's on the website under "Resources and Publications,” through the “Information for libraries and librarians serving Latinos & Spanish-speaking communities" link. We also hosted three webinars highlighting different partners such as the Asociación Mexicana de Bibliotecarios AC (AMBAC) and Libraries Without Borders. Check out the recordings on REFORMA's YouTube Channel!

Tell us about services you/your organization is providing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Currently, the digital divide has been on my mind! I identify community and technology resources that can help students access digital content as needed. This divide has had a major impact on all. However, I see that our work is timely and relevant. Library workers can bridge the digital divide for their communities!