Sonia Bautista

For immediate release
Contact: Haydee C. Hodis
REFORMA Dr. Arnulfo D. Trejo Librarian of the Year (LOTY) Award & the Elizabeth Martinez Lifetime Achievement (LAA) Award Committee
awards@reforma.org

REFORMA Announces 2018 Librarian of the Year (LOTY) Winner

REFORMA is proud to announce the recipient of the 2018 Arnulfo Trejo Librarian of the Year (LOTY) award, Sonia Bautista (Los Angeles Chapter, City of Commerce Public Library)

Sonia Bautista has been an active member of REFORMA for over 11 years. She served as president of the Los Angeles Chapter in 2009 and currently serves as treasurer for the Los Angeles Chapter and as the Fundraising Committee Chair for REFORMA National. She has also served as a chapter representative on the Executive Committee for REFORMA National.
 
Ms. Bautista is currently the Senior Librarian for Adult Services at the City of Commerce Public Library in California where she has been dedicated to serving the Latino community by developing collections of Spanish materials, heading the Commerce Library’s Embajadores program, and offering community programming for Latino adults and families.
 
Ms. Bautista’s passion and impact has reached far beyond her own library and community. She has developed and conducted a Bilingual Storytime Workshop for librarians interested in this type of programming for their communities. She also advised the Consulate of El Salvador in Los Angeles in developing the “Biblioteca Predencia Ayala” of the Consulate of El Salvador.
 
Throughout her career, Ms. Bautista has received various recognitions and awards, including the Reforma Los Angeles Elizabeth Martinez Scholarship, selected for the PLA Leadership Academy, selected as Community Advisory Board Member for KCET, and has been recognized as Woman of the Year for Assembly District 58 in 2015, honored by Assemblymember Christina Garcia.
 
Fellow Reformistas say this about Sonia Bautista:
 
“Sonia is fun, creative, reliable, giving - a library superstar. Outstanding mentor and leader, Reformista, Latina, Mexican-Salvadoran-American, a distinguished member of the community, and inspiration to all who have the pleasure to collaborate with her.”  -- Madeline Peña 2017-2018 REFORMA Vice-President/ President Elect
 
“She continues making her mark in libraries and does so with enthusiasm, compassion, passion and the most sincere dedication to making lives better through the profession of librarianship in Spanish speaking communities. By the work she does and programs she creates, she contributes greatly to the success of the Commerce Library and beyond. She embodies the phrase, La Biblioteca es para todos.” -- Beatriz Sarmiento
 
“Ms. Bautista has more than fulfilled a public librarian’s mission to engage and support the community
and, furthermore, engage and support her colleagues at all levels of the profession.” --Martin E. Delgado
 
Ms. Bautista will be honored at the 2018 American Library Association (ALA) annual conference in New
Orleans, Louisiana at the REFORMA Awards Ceremony.
  The REFORMA Dr. Arnulfo D. Trejo Librarian of the Year (LOTY) Award & the Elizabeth Martinez Lifetime Achievement (LAA) Award Committee

• Haydee C. Hodis, (Chair)
• Roxana Benavides, Appointed Committee Member

For more information about the LAA and REFORMA, visit www.reforma.org

Download Press Release PDF.