Ricardo Ramirez Statement

Ricardo Ramirez
Nominee for REFORMA Chapter Representative - Western Region

Dear REFORMA colleagues,

I am honored to be nominated for the Western Chapter Representative and I would like to take a few moments to offer some insights on my goals if selected for this position.  First and foremost, I would uphold the traditions of my predecessors in supporting the regional voices of REFORMA and continue in the expansion of our platforms to ensure equitable time and space for all chapters big and small.  As someone who has worked in a wide range of systems, professions, and communities I take the responsibility of creating safe and equitable spaces for engagement and empowerment seriously.  I would also work with our chapters to expand our efforts in supporting grassroots and community organizations, as a reminder that we are strongest when we involve the voices of communities that we serve. This includes advocating and sharing best practices for recruitment outside of the library profession to create dynamic and sustainable chapters, whose members are embedded in their communities and have
lifelong commitments to the causes of empowerment in Spanish speaking, immigrant, refugee communities, as well as our Indigenous, Black, Asian Pacific American, and LGTBQ+ communities whom we stand in solidarity with.

Since joining REFORMA in 2013, I have been fortunate to have been guided and supported by powerful mentors, who have shared with me valuable histories and advice on navigating my way in this profession. As a Youth Librarian with the Sacramento Public Library, I am proud to have taken on similar roles myself in the past years as a mentor and ally to incoming librarians and staff and as an advocate for LIS students from underrepresented and marginalized communities as Chair of scholarship committees for the California Library Association and the Bibliotecas Para La Gente chapter of REFORMA. It is with this spirit of collaborative and collective growth and community service, that I would bring my voice into the work of Chapter Representative.

Sincerely, 

Ricardo M. Ramírez, MLIS