Librarians play a vital role as connectors

Initially intended to be a one-time visit to the Los Angeles Central Library to pick up books, the trip ended up becoming biweekly Sunday visits over the next four years. I discovered a world of knowledge in the Central Library’s thousands of books, which transported me to different worlds with every history, geography or travel guide I read.

As teenagers growing up in South Central Los Angeles, my sister and I would eagerly look forward to spending four to five hours every other Sunday at the Central Library looking through the comic books, magazines and Lonely Planet guidebooks while planning imaginary itineraries that would later become a reality. Little did we know that these library visits would eventually prepare us for bigger and better things in life!

As a current MLIS graduate student at the University of Arizona and Knowledge River Scholar, I am a graduate assistant with Pima County Public Library where I have had the opportunity to work at several branches serving different populations.

In the same way that the librarians at L.A.’s Central Library Teen’Scape section made a difference in my sister’s life and my own, I know I want to make a difference in the lives of the people who visit our libraries.

The Knowledge River Program mission strongly correlates with my long-term goals of working with communities where access to libraries and their resources are limited. Focusing on educating professionals who are aware of and committed to the information needs of BIPOC communities, Knowledge River fosters an understanding of library and information issues from the perspective of BIPOC and advocates for cultural awareness and respect in information services to these communities.

As a graduate assistant at both Santa Rosa and Quincie Douglas libraries, I have come in contact with some challenges that our patrons may face when visiting. As a bilingual, first-generation Mexican-American aspirant to become a public librarian, I would like to advocate for more easily accessible information and resources within our public libraries to make them more welcoming for everyone. I strongly believe that librarians are intermediaries to the information, knowledge and resources our libraries hold.

Helping patrons visit the library and creating awareness of the many resources and programs our libraries have to offer brings me a lot of joy. Librarians play a vital role as connectors who link people to knowledge by organizing materials and assisting those who come to search for knowledge.

Educating, serving my community, making library resources more readily accessible and performing outreach work have been the main forces behind my interest in pursuing a career as a librarian in a public setting. While Los Angeles might be my hometown, Tucson is the place I now call home and where I would like to continue working toward making libraries more equitable, diverse and inclusive spaces.

As I approach the end of my graduate school journey, I would like to continue to put into practice the training and skills I have gained as a Knowledge River Scholar. By performing outreach within the communities I aim to serve, I am working to increase awareness about the resources libraries offer and how they can also be a source of empowerment. As libraries continue to evolve, I believe it is important for librarians to become aware of our roles within diverse communities and to understand their needs and aspirations.