Nicanor Diaz

2023 Dr. Arnulfo D. Trejo Librarian of the Year Award

The Dr. Arnulfo D. Trejo Librarian of the Year Award (LOTY) is presented annually by REFORMA to recognize a librarian who has distinguished himself or herself in the field of librarianship, promoted and advocated services to the Spanish-speaking and Latino communities, and made outstanding contributions to REFORMA.

This year, the Awards Committee selected Nicanor Diaz as the recipient of this award.

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Nicanor Diaz is a Neighborhood Services Manager for the Denver Public Library. He began working in libraries in 2005 shortly after moving to Colorado from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Shortly after starting his work in libraries, he understood the importance of having Spanish speaking staff to be able to connect with the Spanish speaking community.

In his time working for the High Plains Library District in Colorado, Nicanor worked as a shelver supervisor and then librarian for the Lincoln Park Branch. As a librarian, he worked closely with the Spanish speaking community and developed programs around technology access and adult literacy, including a GED class in Spanish.

At this time, he enrolled in the University of Denver to obtain his MLIS. As Nicanor continued to grow in his career, he became more involved with REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking, ultimately becoming REFORMA National President. Also while he was obtaining his MLIS at DU, Nicanor was able to complete a practicum working abroad at the National Library in Buenos Aires.

In Nicanor’s current position with the Denver Public Library, he manages two neighborhood branches, Westwood and Hampden, and the Cultural Inclusivity Department which includes Services to Spanish Speakers, Cultural Exchange Programming, the Plaza Program, Older Adult Services and Career Online High School.