Section: News Articles
A Year of Reflection: REFORMA San José State University Student and Alumni Group


Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and REFORMA SJSU’s first year as a group, we immediately began working toward building this community through virtual events and collaborative partnerships. The Cafecito con… event series created a space where iSchool students had the opportunity to engage with and learn from experienced library professionals.

Celebrate Día Spotlight: Gail Borden Public Library


Gail Borden Public Library partnered with the local U-46 School District’s Dual Language program and its Bilingual Parents Advisory Council to celebrate El día de los niños/El día de los libros, Children’s Day/Book Day with a week of simultaneous virtual programming.

Celebrate Día Spotlight: REFORMA Washington


Celebrating Día and its 25th anniversary during the Covid-19 pandemic called for creative event planning in a time when most library resources are going towards curbside and reopening.



Champions' Showcase: Ideas We Should Steal


The REFORMA Northeast (RNE) Leadership Institute has presented the second webinar in the series entitled “Champions’ Showcase: Ideas We Should Steal!!” The goal of this online presentation was to share ideas and skills related to virtual programming.

Yakima Valley Libraries: Serving the Spanish-Speaking Community During the Pandemic


Yakima Valley Libraries is located in the beautiful, agricultural Yakima County in south-central Washington State. Yakima County is 4,296 square miles and is the second-largest county in Washington State.



We Urgently Need Children’s Books About Undocumented Activists


I have the privilege of having worked for 20 years in the movement for labor rights for immigrant workers. I have seen garment workers protesting outside of fashion stores demanding that their clothing be made in just working conditions; domestic workers advocating for the use of cleaning products that do not harm their health; agricultural workers asking for protection against the heat and smoke of forest fires; janitors that work alone at night going on a hunger strike to demand an end to sexual harassment; and restaurant and fast food workers protesting because their employer was not protecting them from COVID-19.



Celebrating Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month and Día de Los Muertos in Glendale, CA


Glendale is a diverse city, so the we strive to be inclusive and offer equal access to all our communities as much as possible, and that’s why Glendale Library, Arts & Culture’s (GLAC) and the Southern California Library Cooperative’s created the Be The Change series, which is focused on: Inclusion – Diversity – Equity – Antiracism. Be The Change events will build collective understanding of systemic racism, elevate the voices and stories of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), and inspire our community to be the change.



Pivoting and Leveraging in Order to Serve


“Creative” is one word to describe what the staff members at the San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) have done to maintain library services, effectively pivoting their skills to leverage the resources available to them amid the many challenges that this pandemic constantly brings. Among the many examples of that creative pivoting is what SFPL was able to do to celebrate Latino Hispanic Heritage Month and address the needs of San Franciscans.



Henrico County Public Library focuses on Latinx Services, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Initiatives


HCPL is investing resources with the goal of greater engagement with the Latinx community in Henrico County using a multi-faceted approach that includes public programs, media and promotional campaigns, online resources, and structural changes via its committee and task force dedicated to equity and inclusion.



The Leader in the Digital Age: How to Engage with a Digital Community and Culture


COVID-19 has changed the way we interact in all the spheres of our lives. Now, our homes are the operational centers for personal interactions, professional work, and the enjoyment of leisure time. As library professionals, we have created a virtual world that supports creativity, innovation, and collaboration for community engagement.



REFORMA San José State University, School of Information, Student and Alumni Group Established


As the new fall 2020 semester began at San José State University (SJSU), students and alumni who were members of REFORMA National responded to the call for executive officers to form a new student group, the REFORMA SJSU iSchool Student and Alumni Group. This group serves as an opportunity for its members to develop, inform, and share best practices and knowledge on how to support Spanish-speaking communities as emerging library professionals.



Los Angeles Libros Festival


The festival is one of the largest bilingual festivals in the U.S. Due to the current situation, the festival was all virtual this year. It offered author panels, illustrators, crafts and storytellers from all over the world, including Cuba, Colombia, Spain and Mexico. The festival celebrates Spanish and bilingualism as an important part of Los Angeles while celebrating the Latino culture.




Congratulations to the 2020 REFORMA Scholarship Winners!

Congratulations to Patricia Lyons, Amanda Toledo, and Hope Saldivar!

Rhode Island Library Association Library Champion Award

On Thursday May 28th, 2020, REFORMA retired member Ida D. McGhee was awarded the 2020 Library Champion Award during the annual Rhode Island Library Conference, which was held virtually this year.

Nathalie DeFelice is the REFORMA 2020 Emerging Leader

Nathalie says, “I decided to become an Emerging Leader because I want to grow as an early library professional, but also because I wanted to begin getting involved with the diverse associations that ALA has to offer. I am honored that REFORMA has chosen to sponsor me, and through this experience I hope to be able to not only develop a larger network of professional relationships, but also advocate for my community as well.”

Felicidades Día Mini-Grant Winners

REFORMA is committed to continuing supporting programing to Latinos and Spanish speakers in our communities - virtual and in-person. The time to review the applications and select the winners of our 2020 Día Mini-Grants Program came around the time the COVID-19 pandemic was developing, which prompted us to adjust the program timeline and guidelines. The winners were selected based on the creativity, level of community involvement, and showcase of Latinx literature and culture, as presented in their original submission.

Strengthening a Culture of Literacy Amongst Rural Guatemalan Youth Through the Creation and Application of Literature Circles

The reading circle program allows individual students in a reading group to each receive a loaned copy of the same novel and to read the book together, while accompanied by an adult mentor. Via reading the story as a group, students have the opportunity to communally discuss literature, make personal connections with a novel, delve deeper into understanding the story, explore literary terms, expand their vocabularies, create community, and build confidence in speaking in public.

A Tour of the New Jersey Hispanic Research and Information Center

The NJHRIC is a three-tier project within the NPL whose mission is to address the informational needs of the state’s diverse Hispanic communities. The oldest tier is the Sala Hispanoamericana, which houses the largest collection of Spanish-language resources within a New Jersey public library. The Sala was founded in 1989 and later incorporated into the NJHRIC.

Feria Internacional del Libro de Guadalajara (FIL) 2019 Top Picks

I heard from several Mexican publishing friends that the current Mexican administration has made drastic cuts to cultural and educational spending. The cuts are especially difficult for independent publishers, who have produced a wider range of high-quality literature in recent years. This proliferation of diverse voices helps build Spanish library collections that resonate with patrons and students. With the decline of sales in Mexico, export sales become vital financial lifelines and affirmations that these independent books can be competitive in the global market.

Actividades sensoriales para “Niños Escuchas” en el Programa de Lectura de Verano

Tratando de dar respuestas a estas preguntas surgió la idea de crear una insignia en nuestro programa de lectura de verano, dirigida a “Niños Escuchas”, que incluye actividades sensoriales que les ayuden a explorar, conocer y procesar la información del mundo que los rodea. A veces, los padres no son tan conscientes de la importancia de exponer a los niños en edad preescolar a el toque de distintas texturas, y que esto es la base para un buen inicio y desarrollo de las destrezas de lectura/escritura posteriores.

Hay un vacío en el mercado de libros latinos… y estamos empezando a llenarlo

Hay entonces un vacío, que se caracteriza por una falta de atención por parte de los medios de comunicación, pocos espacios para la publicidad y escasos canales para construir estrategias de mercadotecnia efectivas… todo lo que en el mercado anglo sirve para que el ecosistema funcione. Faltan reviewers e influencers en los que pueda descansar la promoción sin costo; también falta abrir más espacios para organizar eventos, como ferias, festivales, y book talks; incluso hacen falta más booksellers con conocimiento de los catálogos, autores, sellos, y de lo que se publica más allá de las fronteras—en América Latina y España.

Los mejores libros para pequeños

Jessica Agudelo is a Supervising Librarian for Children's Services at the New York Public Library. She was the chair for NYPL’s debut edition of the Mejores libros para pequeños list in 2019. Jessica was selected as a Spectrum Scholar in 2014, and is currently the 2020 Emerging Leader for ALSC, and chair for the 2021 Pura Belpré Award selection committee. She regularly contributes reviews of Spanish and English to Booklist, and is a proud member of the Association of Library Services to Children and REFORMA. Jessica is Colombian-American and was born and raised in Queens, NY.

REFORMA Receives the 2019 Eric Carle Museum Angel Award


This year The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art and the Carle Honors Committee selected REFORMA to receive 2019’s Carle Honors Angel Award for its outstanding contribution to children's literacy and its efforts to bring picture books to children everywhere.
2019 ALA Emerging Leaders Program

REFORMA was delighted to join the 2019 ALA (American Library Association) Emerging Leaders program for the first time and sponsor Derek Stalcup to participate in this year’s cohort.