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Yago Cura
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Los Angeles—U.N.A.M. (National Autonomous University of Mexico), and REFORMA have collaborated on a new book regarding library services in Latin America. The e-book, Servicios Bibliotecarios en América Latina: tres casos prominentes / Library Services in Latin America: three outstanding cases, was published by the U.N.A.M.’s Center for Bibliographic Research in December 2011.
This collaboration between two energetic institutions resulted from the efforts of two innovative librarians, Loida Garcia-Febo, (REFORMA President 2009-2010 and Coordinator of the New Americans Program at Queens Library), and Dr. Filiberto Felipe Martinez Arellano (U.N.A.M.’s L.I.S. Research Center researcher, and 2008-2011 Section Chair of the International Federation of Library Associations /Latin American & the Caribbean section).
The e-book was born from a REFORMA program titled “Successful Stories: Library Services in Latin America”, presented at the A.L.A. 2010 Annual Conference. Panelists and presentations were:
• Ana Lupe Cristán, Library of Congress, U.S.A.: Library of Congress reaches out to the Latin America library community/ alliance de los programas de cooperación de la Biblioteca del Congreso en América Latina;
• Marcia Rosetto, Universidad de São Paulo, Brasil, and Aparecida Da Graça Guimarães: Fundaçao Memorial da America Latina, Brasil: Virtual Library of Latin America, BV@L / Biblioteca Virtual deAmérica Latina, BV@L;
• Nítida Carranza, Universidad Pedagógica Nacional, Honduras, and Denice Adkins, University of Missouri, U.S.A.: Promoting Reading in Tegucigalpa Public Schools with Bookmobiles/ Fomentando la lectura en las escuelas públicas de Tegucigalpa a través de la Biblioteca Móvil.
Dr. Martínez Arellano notes that the 2010 A.L.A. Annual Conference presented an “opportunity for Latin American librarians to highlight to their American colleagues serving Latino and Spanish speaking communities representative and innovative cases of library services developed in Latin American countries.” Likewise, Loida Garcia-Febo says, “The cases featured in the book are examples of initiatives to promote libraries, community engagement, and partnerships to Latinos and Spanish-speakers.
The decision to produce a bilingual e-book came rather organically. Dr. Martínez Arellano believes the book will serve to “spur other librarians to research and publish similar cases.” Ms. Garcia-Febo notes this as “an example of library associations partnering to further professional development for members.”
The book was published in December 2011 in Mexico, D.F. and is accessible at http://132.248.242.3/~publica/conmutarl.php?arch=./archivos/libros/servicios_bibliotecarios_america_latina.pdf&idx=261