Thinking about a career in academic libraries, or wondering how to make the leap from public to academic librarianship? Join REFORMA Colorado for an honest, candid conversation with four Latina librarians working in reference, archives, technical services, and health sciences. Some came to the field as a second career, others started working in libraries as teenagers, and all of them have a testimonio to share.
Panelists:
Natalia Umaña (she/her/ella) is a Colombian American, bilingual (Spanish and English) Reformista based out of Denver, Colorado. She currently works as an assistant professor and the education librarian at the University of Colorado Boulder. Her academic librarianship journey began first as a staff member in access services at the Lucy Scribner Library at Skidmore College, and then as a residency librarian at the University of Denver 2022-2025. Prior to pursuing librarianship, Natalia worked as a bilingual primary teacher in Austin and Houston, Texas. She works with students, faculty, and researchers in the subject areas of Education and Children’s and Young Adult Literature. Her research interests encompass critical librarianship, evidence synthesis methodology in education research, and bibliotherapy through children’s literature.
Margarita “Maggie” C. Shawcross is a teaching & learning librarian and associate professor at the University of Northern Colorado (UNCO). She received her master’s in public health from the UNCO and is a certified health education specialist (CHES) through the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing. She has experience working in public health as well as public and special libraries. She received her master’s of library and information science from the University of Denver. Her current research interests include transitioning into academic libraries, professional development of health science librarians, and the imposter phenomenon in new academic librarians. Maggie serves as lead editor for her first book, Landing a Job in Academic Libraries (Shawcross, Parks, & Neely, 2027) which is in production at Bloomsbury Libraries Unlimited.
Hannah-Jayne Duran, MLIS, is a Processing Archivist at the University of Denver Libraries. She is the 2026-27 REFORMA Colorado Chapter President, and Fundraising Co-Chair for the National REFORMA Conference IX. She found her love for library work in the circulation department at the Broomfield Public Library and worked there for just over a decade before transitioning into academic archives with the University of Denver Special Collections and Archives. In 2024, she hosted a panel interviewing Latinx faculty about primary source research, and routinely provides guest lectures to library students about working in archives. She is passionate about connecting community to history.
Denisse Solis (she/ella) is the Digital Collections Librarian at the University of Denver (DU). Prior to this position, she was DU's first residency librarian. She began her career in her alma mater of Florida International University as a cataloger and has since occupied both public and technical positions within academic libraries. Born and raised in Miami, Florida, to Nicaraguan immigrants her research is deeply personal and driven by a desire to effect change. She refers to her work as "me-search," as it revolves around seeking answers to critical questions related to representation, equity, inclusion, and organizational culture.
If you’re an MLIS student exploring your options, a public librarian considering a move, or a new professional looking for community, this session offers honest talk and practical takeaways. We hope that by sharing our stories we can help you in your own journey.
