Photo credit: Robert Karatsu and Sean Guerrero.

In this 11th of a dozen planned follow-up interviews with librarians named as Library Journal Movers & Shakers this year, Perera shares with us her inspirations and passions for the profession, and some of the secrets behind Rancho Cucamonga’s recent success.

How did you get your start in library science?
While I was in college, getting my degree in English Literature, I got a part time job at my local public library. My first day was one of trial and error because my supervisor had called in sick, so I was told to work at the reference desk. It was quite the experience—I didn’t know where anything was, I didn’t know the types of questions I would get, and didn’t know how to use the computers or phone. But luck was on my side, and not only did I persevere, but I realized that this is what I wanted to do with my life. I loved working with the community and loved doing reference.

Were you a library fan as a child?
Alas, I was always that kid that was talking to her friends and eating in the library. In the 80s, that was not allowed.  So, my experience, especially during high school, was getting kicked out of the library almost daily for talking and eating candy.  Obviously, it didn’t deter me, but that is probably one reason our libraries are more like community centers than the “sssh” libraries of the 80s.

Children’s librarian Angelica Trummell hypes the audience for one of Rancho Cucamonga Library’s summer reading program kickoff performances.

What was programming like at Rancho Cucamonga before you were appointed assistant director? What were some of your early goals?
I have been at the Rancho Cucamonga Library since we opened in 1994. We have always had a wonderful slate of children’s programs which expanded when we opened our second location in 2006. We currently offer 18 weekly storytimes plus lots of special events. When we opened the Victoria Gardens location—which is part of a multi-use facility that houses a library, 536-seat performing arts theater and events space and all centrally located in a large shopping district—I wanted to develop a series of cultural programs. We offer quarterly cultural arts nights (Hispanic Heritage Night, Black History Night, Asian & Pacific Islander night, Chinese New Year, Local History Night, etc.) that bring in anywhere from 300 to 900 people. It really has become a family night out, with something for everyone—music, art, dance, crafts, games, storytelling, and more.

It has always been important to me that we offer different kinds of programs, ones that are experiential, educational, and interactive. Some of our signature events, besides the cultural arts nights, are Cookies & Carols (complete with a 150-child choir serenading the participants during the program), Star Wars Day (with about 1500 fans attending), Robot Day (where kids learn about making robots), Superhero Day (with a wide variety of superheroes in attendance), and Hello Kitty Day (to celebrate Hello Kitty’s birthday.  In all these programs, we try and create a fun, immersive experience.

Darth Vader Storytime during Rancho Cucamonga Library’s annual Star Wars Day.

What are you most proud of at Rancho Cucamonga?
There are so many things—an amazing programming lineup (which we publish in an annual calendar), the partnerships and relationships we have created over the years, a supportive community, the staff development program we have created (the Staff Innovation Fund™), and our talented and dedicated staff.  But, what I am most proud of is our National Medal award we won this year. It truly is a testament to everything I have just mentioned—programming, partnerships, and our staff.  Our library winning this award (and receiving it at the White House, from Mrs. Obama) was and is an amazing achievement.

Who do you collaborate the most with there?
Mostly, our fellow city personnel (the city manager’s office on citywide projects, the fire district and planning department on a local history program, the community services department on programming and cultural arts, the animal center on programming.  In addition, I collaborate a lot with other libraries—recently eight libraries across California who are going through our Staff Innovation Fund™ program as well as a myriad of libraries and library personnel through the California Library Association.

Families enjoy potting plants during Rancho Cucamonga Library’s annual Earth Day festival, a partnership between the library and the city’s engineering department.

Can you tell us more about the Play and Learn Islands™?
Our islands arose out of a needs assessment to determine the best use for 14,000 square feet of empty space in one of our libraries. Whereas we didn’t have the money to develop that space due to the downturn in the economy, I wanted to use the needs assessment data (significant interest in interactive exhibits) in both of our libraries. From that, the project was born.

I wanted to create interactive, multi-modal, developmentally age-appropriate exhibits for young children and their families, and pulled our children’s team together to make it happen. When we designed and built the island, it was always our intention to make them available (through a loan process) to other libraries in California, and we received grant funding to do it.

In the last two years, over 35 libraries have borrowed our island and we have orders from 30 libraries who are purchasing an island of their own. We knew that if they would be popular in our libraries, they would probably be popular in many.

Which is the most popular Island? Which is your favorite?
The popularity depends on the day and sometimes the program we are offering. Big Build is always popular with boys because they love to build anything. Discovery Dig is always popular at our outdoor events because kids can dig for fossils or sea life or Terra Cotta Warriors or buried treasure, depending on the event. I think the Healthy island is the most popular because it is a mini farmers market stand that conveys the concept of “from the field to the market to the table.” [It] is super popular right now for the Reading is So Delicious Summer Reading Club. We just finished a new island in partnership with the Rancho Cucamonga Municipal Utility: Renewable Energy. Through colored LED lights, a solar panel, inviting graphics, and toys, it teaches children about the different types of renewable energy. In the future we hope to re-create our IlluminArt island into something more mobile, where light meets art.

Children check out Rancho Cucamonga Library’s IlluminArt Play and Learn Island.

Why did you see the need for these types of interactive activities?
That is what our community really seemed to respond to when offered…we did an extensive needs assessment on interactive learning and activities four years ago and there was an overwhelming response for this. I [and my staff have] studied the value of playing and learning in a child’s life. We have tailored staff days to this topic, visited children’s museums, attended children’s museum conferences, and done quite a bit of research on the topic.

What is next for you and why?
I need to figure out how to leverage successes like the Mover & Shaker award and the National Medal to build out that second floor of the library!  The time is right for our library to expand and as the assistant library director, I need to help figure out how to make that happen.

What do you think are the big issues and challenges in children’s services right now?
I think the state of children’s services right now is promising. There are lots of challenges, of course, like providing programming and services to a changing clientele—balancing high tech and no tech opportunities, staying relevant in a constantly changing environment, competing with a wide array of private opportunities children have, developing mutually lucrative partnerships, etc.  But the children’s librarians I know are motivated and creative, and dedicated to providing quality programming and services. So I am confident we are moving in the right direction.

What do you think children’s services should look like going forward?
Based on my experience here in Rancho Cucamonga, I think children’s services should morph more into family services, providing something for the whole family and encouraging multi-generational use, programming, and services. There seems to be a disconnect sometimes between the parent and child during library programs, so having programs that appeal to the whole family encourages that ever-so-important interaction.

Children enjoy a zumba class among the stacks at Rancho Cucamonga Library during its annual Hispanic Heritage Cultural Arts Night.

What are the best professional development experiences that you have ever had?
I have been fortunate that there have been a few: developing the Staff Innovation Fund™ for my staff and now for several libraries across California (first part is training in grants, project management, marketing and branding, talking to power, and then a dedicated innovation fund to use for special projects); being the program chair for the 2011 California Library Association Conference (it really got me involved with a great organization); and having the Play and Learn Islands™ be so successful and have so many libraries wanting to buy them.

What’s on your career wish list? What would you love to do that you haven’t done yet?
My long-term career goal has always been to make a positive change in my profession, and hopefully through projects like the Play and Learn Islands™ and Staff Innovation Fund™, through teaching for several years at San Jose State’s MLIS program, and through my work with the California Library Association, I hope I am making steps towards that.

“Having a successful summer reading program requires passion and organization skills. When you have these two things, the rest seems to fall in place,” Aguirre tells School Library Journal. “My staff can verify that I am ecstatic this time of year. This is my holiday season!”

In this tenth of a dozen planned interviews with the youth librarians named as Movers & Shakers this year, we catch up with Aguirre to learn more about her inspirations and passions, the ways in which she collaborates with her community, and her thoughts on the future of public library youth services.

How did you know library science was the right choice for you?
When I did my first storytime, I realized I had a special connection with children and an extreme compassion for their teachers, parents, and caregivers. I am one of two people in my family to go to college. (My niece just got accepted to Notre Dame. I’ve been sending her books since she was born!)  I know what it is like to struggle with learning to read at a young age and my heart is dedicated to serving the needs of the reluctant reader.

Can you tell us more about Southgate’s summer reading program?
Summer reading is a big deal! I make sure my team starts planning six months in advance and we always know what funds we have to work with. It is most important to know your community. I regularly attend meetings and constantly look for ways to partner with local organizations. I listen to what our neighbors want and need from their library. We are fortunate to have such amazing community partners. Coordinating and overseeing all that happens at our little branch takes an enormous amount of effort; I am nothing without my team. I take teamwork seriously and we must serve each other with the same dedication as we do our [patrons]. If we are not excited about summer reading, we can’t expect the public to care. I believe our neighbors view our library as their own living room—a place to relax, to accomplish tasks, or to gather with others to build community.

What books are on your all-time top lists for summer reading?
There are so many but here’s what comes to mind: anything written by Mo Willems, all of the “Fancy Nancy” books, Cricket in Times Square by George Selden, One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia, Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo, anything written by Margaret Peterson Haddix, and the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (hands down, one of my best adult book Club discussions ever. I’ve also recommended this book for parent/teen book clubs).

What are you reading right now for yourself? What new books are your favorites?
Becoming Marie Antoinette: A Novel by Juliet Grey (for our second Saturday book club), Doll Bones by Holly Black, P.S. Be Eleven by Rita Williams-Garcia, Feel Good Food: Wholefood Recipes for Happy, Healthy Living by Tony Chiodo, Don’t Let the Republican Drive the Bus by Mo Willems (recently given to me as a gift), Unbored: The Essential Field Guide to Serious Fun by Joshua Glenn and Elizabeth Foy Larsen, and any cookbooks by Gordon Ramsey.

What were your programming goals when you got started at your library?
I was determined to start at least three annual programs a year. Since then, we have established annual programs for Read for the Record, Día de los Niños/Día de los Libros, Free Comic Book Day, Read Across America for Dr. Seuss’s birthday, Star Wars Reads Day, and next year we will include May the 4th Be With You.  My goal is to double attendance for all programs on an annual basis. Our Summer Reading Program is probably more elaborate than previous years and we will hold a big National Night Out party in the library parking lot for the second year running.

What are you most proud at Southgate?
My staff!

What’s it like to hear back from kids who participated in your programming?
Kids are constantly saying, ‘hey I know you, you came to my school/class/baseball summer camp.’  I always answer, ‘oh yeah, I remember you’ (with a wink of course). The goal is to make a personal connection with children. This is their library and I’m one of their local librarians. The biggest compliment is when kids come back and report how much they enjoyed a program. When they ask, ‘can we do this every week?’ we know we are successful.

Last year, the teen librarian and I hosted a mother/daughter sleepover. Their favorite part of the night was discussing Hunger Games (they all received a free copy beforehand) and playing Marco-Polo Mom in the library. When we gave them Catching Fire and Mockingjay to take home, they couldn’t believe it. Leticia told me, ‘This is better than Christmas.’

What was your reaction to being named a Mover & Shaker?
I was super shocked. This seems like an extension of the Outstanding Librarian in Literacy Award 2012 from CLA—one award lead to another for various reasons. Our branch outreach efforts have proven successful and it is a huge compliment to be recognized by my colleagues. It is a really good feeling.

You were pegged as a “Community Builder.” Is that how you view yourself, too?
This is exactly me! Community building is a way of life, not just a job. I’ve come to realize that it is our community neighbors that teach me, not the other way around. It is the public that makes me better at what I do. The most important thing is to pay attention to the needs of those that you serve. To be with each other in a nurturing and compassionate library environment is a gift.

What do you think are the biggest issues and challenges for youth library services?
The biggest challenge seems to be centered around the need to keep our youth engaged in reading. They have so many distractions: cell phones, TV, social networking, etc. We need to constantly be ready to grab their attention whenever possible.

What do you think youth services should look like going forward?
I think we need to electronically be where our youth are. Two of my librarians tweet for our library branch and it is amazing how many teens we have show up for DIY crafts. For the younger kids, I believe we need to reach the whole family whenever possible.

Youth services needs to be a strong network of community support. My goal is to have kids hear about the library from multiple sources: school, parks and recreation, summer camps, church, bus stops, festivals, entertainment parks, the bookmobile, and after-school hang-outs like parks, fast food places, or local coffee shops. We work hard at being visible within our community.

What’s your advice for librarians seeking to improve community outreach?
Start by creating a community map listing: health and human service agencies, schools and school-based programs, local government, local media, social clubs and neighborhood organizations, businesses, religious organizations, and other. I learned from Family Place training. Once you have something to look at, you can strategically start meeting people to build partnerships. It may seem overwhelming, but I focus on everything within a five mile radius first. I know that we serve 5000 kids under the age of five within [that] radius. This helps prioritize our outreach efforts. Every library community varies and you can adjust your plan accordingly.

What are the best professional development experiences that you have ever had?
Learning from my fellow staff at the Sacramento Public Library, the San Jose Public Library and the Los Gatos Public Library. I have been extremely fortunate to work with such awesome people.  From janitors to shelvers to facilities, IT, library services assistants, friends of the library, volunteers, security, acquisitions, librarians, admin and those pesky library directors (you know who you are), I always try to absorb knowledge from the experts around me. They are my best teachers!

As far as being professionally re-charged, inspired, and continually challenged, the ALA New Orleans 2011 and CLA San Jose 2012 conferences have proven invaluable. Hearing Joan Fry Williams speak at the San Francisco Public Library was also a big turning point for me.  Finally, Dr. Fisher’s library management class at San Jose State University has helped my thinking process throughout my career.  Seriously, ‘thank you’ seems somehow inadequate in expressing my gratitude.

Rose and Margaux with Sara Kelly Johns at the NYLA SSL 2012 conference, after presenting a session together with Sara on advocating for your libraries by making a community connection.

In addition to their part-time positions at Freeport Memorial—where DelGuidice is a  youth services librarian and Luna is a bilingual reference librarian—these two powerhouses of the profession also hold full-time teacher librarian positions at Garden City High School and Freeport High School, respectively.

Since meeting in 2004 at a monthly meeting for school district librarians, the two have become close collaborators in their efforts to advocate for school libraries and for the public library in their community, and, more recently, to take their advocacy to the national stage through conference presentations, free webinars for their colleagues, and continued professional development.

In this ninth of a dozen planned interviews with the youth services librarians named as Movers & Shakers this year, DelGuidice and Luna share their inspirations and passions, their best practices for constructive collaboration, and their goals for the future of library advocacy.

How did you know that librarianship would be a good fit for you?
Margaux: Growing up I spent every free moment of my weekends and summers at the library. In college, I used to cut the classes to hole up in the library and read for hours on end. The library has always been a comforting place for me and continues to welcome and nurture me like the supportive arms of a best friend. After following my friends down a career path into the business world I realized that corporate America was not the place for me. I needed a job that had substance and soul, where my work would really help others and make a difference.

Rose: I have always been involved with and drawn back to the library…I actually attended my first ALA conference in NYC as a child, with my cousin, Mary Oppman. Mary was an amazing, pioneering librarian who exuded energy and excitement about the positive difference libraries could make in the world. I was also in the library club in fifth and sixth grade and my first job in high school was a page at our public library. While I was in college studying opera I was placed in a work study program in the college library. But I wasn’t convinced that I could be myself and be happy in a lifelong library career until I attended a REFORMA conference in Austin, TX. The REFORMA librarians were the coolest librarians I had ever met. They welcomed me, introduced me to people, and made me feel right at home.

Margaux holds a copy of her book with Rose, Make A Big Impact @ Your School Board Meeting, in her school library.

How do you take advantage of your dual positions to serve the kids in your community?
Margaux: One of the first things I did at Garden City High School was to reach out to the young adult librarian at the public library. Four years later, that same librarian has become a good friend and ally, as we fight for students to have the access they need to succeed in high school and beyond. This past October, she reached out to me and [my colleague] Lois Kuster to present at a joint Summit on the Common Core at the Garden City Public Library. This event never would have happened if there was not an organic and natural collaborative relationship in place between the two institutions.

Rose: I am better able to help our students and staff access information between both locations. I am also able to share school projects with the public librarians and share with our students and staff the great resources for them to use from the public library and online. It makes collaborating much easier. We have provided all incoming 9th grade students with library orientations—the public librarians come to our high school and make sure students have a public library card and recognize a familiar face so they are comfortable going to the public library. I can assist the public librarians in feeling comfortable at the high school and give them tips for presenting that information to our school.

Margaux and Rose deliver the keynote presentation at a recent joint conference at the Cervantes Institute in NYC. The conference was organized by REFORMA,s Northeast chapter.

What is a typical day or week like for you at your respective schools?
Margaux: I’m always juggling something; there is always meaningful work to be done. Each day brings new opportunities to make my role and my library visible: A teacher to collaborate with, a student to conference with on a paper, a research project to pull and create resources for, a college student’s paper to edit and an information literacy lesson to teach. On an average day, nearly half of the school passes through the physical walls of my library and numerous others connect via 24/7 access to our online resources. For a school that houses only 1150 students we have an astounding number of students that use the library on a daily basis. During the 2012–2013 school year we had over 12,000 students use the library during study halls and senior “off” periods and over 35,000 students sign-in to the library during their lunch periods, that is more people than the population of my town!

Rose: My high school has approximately 2000 students and on any given month we have 3500 to 4000 walk-ins plus another 1500 to 2500 for scheduled classes. So from the moment I walk into my library, I’m bombarded by requests and I must be able to deftly switch between the competing priorities. One minute I may be helping a student with a research project and the next setting up a temporary lab space with laptops for a full class lesson on our online databases. In order to meet the needs of our students I have taken the time to train library interns with running the circulation desk and clerical tasks while I teach. After school, I stay to keep the library open for students through a 21st Century grant. This has been a very successful program that really seems to help students complete their work and improve their level of overall achievement. At the public library, I also conduct an adult Spanish book club, called Grupo de Conversación de Libros Latinos, with native and non-native Spanish speakers.

Margaux and Rose at “ImaginOn,” the closing celebration at AASL’s conference in Charlotte, VA, in 2009, after presenting a concurrent session on advocacy.

How have you shaped programming over the years to reach your communities?
Rose: Prior to working in the school district I worked as an outreach librarian at Freeport. We had a lot of great programs, but I felt we needed to diversify them. Not everyone is interested in classical music, so I suggested we get a Mariachi group, gospel, etc. We also began to offer classes on the Internet in Spanish. We now have many wonderful programs due to the contributions of many people at the library. We also just had our first Spanish Language Resource Fair, which I collaborated on by connecting with our school district to bring in student performers and alumni. I even sang bilingual children’s songs to entertain children and their parents.

Margaux: Garden City High School is in a very exciting place right now. We have planned activities that help students combine their love of all things digital with reading for pleasure and self-expression. The purchase of 25 Nook eReaders has added to our programming options as we now have a Nook Book Club that consists of both students and teachers. When there is a high profile title that students are clamoring to read (like The Hunger Games) we meet as a group to discuss and debate. We have been fortunate to have some very gifted authors pass through our school [but] this year, the loss of instructional time due to Superstorm Sandy halted our options to host a big author assembly. We opted for an informal author chat and writing workshop hosted by Jen Calonita in the library after school. The coziness of that intimate meeting has remained with the students long after her visit.

What are each of you most proud of at Freeport? At your schools?
Margaux: I am so proud of the role that the library plays in this diverse community, my hometown. The entire village of Freeport was decimated by Superstorm Sandy, yet when I showed up to work two nights after the storm, the library was open, alive and buzzing. It was the literal calm in the middle of the storm. Additionally, the library has a truly wonderful, collaborative relationship in place with all of the K–12 schools and school librarians in the district. The school district librarians and many of the public librarians maintain constant communication. This type of an open relationship is unfortunately rare in the library world, yet it truly works to serve the students in this diverse community. At Garden City High School, I am extremely proud of the work that we have been doing to teach research and information literacy skills using content from almost every area of the high school curriculum.

Rose:  I am most proud of the progress we made in our school over the years. The library at the high school used to be closed often for various meetings and testing, but over the years we have communicated the importance of the library to our administrators. The library is now rarely used for testing or administrative meetings. The students get upset if we close! Our library has become an important place for research and collaboration.

Can you tell us more about your webinar series and your presentations?
Margaux and Rose: After presenting at three national conferences, giving one national preconference presentation and speaking at numerous state and local library associations on how to successfully advocate for your library position and program, we recognized that there was a need to reach even more librarians on this important topic. Webinars are a great way to reach librarians that cannot afford to travel or do not have the time to leave their jobs or homes for days at a time. We worked with the team at EasyBib and used their platform and contacts to give our first webinar and share our tools, tips and tactics. Since then we are working with Follett Software to give webinars on advocacy and the Common Core, and with other local BOCES organizations. We also know how important it is to reach those that are in a leadership position as administrators in school buildings and districts across the country.. we have plans to bring these advocacy webinars on the link between certified school librarians and student achievement directly to those key decision makers.

Margaux and Rose after presenting at a pre-conference session at AASL 2011 in Minneapolis, MN.

Do you have any advice for librarians seeking to improve outreach in their communities?
Margaux and Rose: You need to love what you do and have it show when you communicate with others. It is the one-on-one contact that makes the difference. A flyer or a newsletter will never be enough to draw people in without that personal touch. I find when doing outreach that so many do not realize all that great services provided by school and public libraries. We need to make people aware of the amazing resources available to them. It is important, as a school and public librarian, to make sure that you are getting out there and actually showing people. There have been many occasions where we have volunteered our personal time during the evening, and on weekends, to conduct outreach by speaking at community group meetings, or running programs. The benefits will be the payoff in the long run.

What are the big issues and challenges for youth services right now?
Margaux and Rose: Of course funding and public support are always the two biggest challenges to any library program, but I think it especially is important with regard to the support for youth library services and youth services programming. There is a misconception out there that just because children, tweens and teens can login to Facebook, or check their e-mail on a smartphone that they no longer need information literacy guidance or educational instruction. School librarians and youth services librarians are needed now, more than ever, to guide our students and patrons to be good digital citizens and to teach them how to effectively analyze, assess and utilize all forms of information.

We are both also frustrated by the pervasive amount of filtering that happens in schools, along with the policies in many school districts that do not allow students to use mobile devices for learning in the classroom. As librarians we are always looking to work with administrators to find feasible ways to rectify these situations. [For example, Margaux was recently appointed to a district-wide technology committee that is looking to address Social Media and BYOD policies and other technological issues.]

What do you think youth services should look like going forward?
Margaux and Rose: Youth services need to constantly adapt to the changing needs of our younger patrons to remain relevant in an increasingly digital society.  For example, delineations between “Children’s Rooms” and “Young Adult/Teen Areas” are so important. Young adults need to know that they have their own physical, and virtual, space at the library and that they will be respected for their unique ideas and perspectives as they move towards finding their way into the adult world.

A teen might come off the street and into the library because he heard that Friday night was XBOX Gaming Night and then may (as a result of this exposure), pick up a new book to read, gain some new acquaintances, and check out some of the other programs the library has to offer. Youth services should be the portal for tweens and teens into a safe world where they are able to express themselves, learn about new technologies, explore their hobbies and connect with others.

Rose and Margaux take a time-out at the 2011 Book Festival in Washington, D.C., after attending the 2011 School Library Journal Leadership Summit in Arlington, VA.

What’s on your career wish list? What would you love to do that you haven’t done yet?
Margaux: My dream is to write a New York Times bestseller, live off of the royalties, and pursue a career as a personal trainer or yoga instructor. However, if that does not work out, I think there may be a doctoral degree somewhere in my future. I currently work as an adjunct professor of academic writing and research; however I have always longed to educate aspiring teacher librarians and public librarians by teaching full time on the university level while also pursuing my other dream of writing.  I am an active member of SCBWI and have had some creative short stories published I hope that in the future I will be able to carve out even more time to devote to writing a novel.

Rose: A personal goal on my checklist is to put together a cabaret vocal performance at a venue in NYC, such as Don’t Tell Mama’s. I have taken cabaret performance classes with the 2013 MAC Award Winner for Major Duo-Barbara Fasano and Eric Comstock. I want to focus on improving my technology expertise and continue to help others integrate technology. On my wish list is attending ISTE, which I am very excited to be attending for the first time in June. I look forward to continuing to advocate for libraries, especially by communicating our message to administrators. We may do a webinar for School Leadership 2.0 in the near future.

What are the best professional development experiences that you have ever had?
Margaux: Mentors have always helped to pave a successful path for me and I have learned by their examples. I have been very fortunate to have some fabulous mentors over the years from my district provided mentor at my very first school library job (thanks Nancy!), to Sara Kelly Johns, who was my mentor when I was chosen as a GALE/Cengage SLJ  “New Leader” back in 2010. In 2011, I was a selected to be a member of the ALA “Future Perfect” Task Force. Through that appointment I was able to learn from the committee chair Brett Bonfield on how to make big changes happen in a meaningful and impactful  way. And of course Rose, who has been my unofficial mentor since that first district librarian’s meeting all those years ago.

Rose: I took an incredible course called “School Leadership and Human Relations Skills for the Proactive School Library Media Specialist” with Michael Keany, who is now the co-founder of Leadership 2.0, a site dedicated to providing/sharing the best practices in school leadership. This course played an essential role in my taking increased initiatives in advocating for school and public libraries and strategically thinking about the way I could gain a seat at the decision-making table. I have also followed Joyce Valenza’s blog for years and have learned so much from her.  I feel as if she is a virtual mentor and more recently I have also presented with Sara Kelly Johns. Singing in cabaret classes has also helped with presenting—another form of performing.

Lisa M. Lopez and her marionette theater set up for Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

“The library is the center of our school,” says Zavala Elementary School librarian Lisa M. Lopez, passionate storyteller, bilingual literacy advocate, 2013 Library Journal Mover & Shaker, and the unofficial Little Free Library ambassador to El Paso, TX.

Through Lopez’s efforts, Zavala became the first location in Texas to install a Little Free Library (LFL) book exchange box—two, in fact, both inside and outside the school, just one way that she has helped students become invested in their own literacy. In addition, Zavala devotes the entire month of April to storytelling events in honor of Día de los niños/Día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day) celebrations, inspiring students to go out into the community and become storytellers themselves.

“Something that I try to incorporate here at the library a lot is allow that hands-on, for them to be creative, and not just read what is available, but also be creators,” Lopez tells School Library Journal.

In this eighth of a dozen planned interviews with the youth services librarians named as Movers & Shakers this year, Lopez tells us more about her inspirations and goals for the profession, her favorite engaging K–5 books and authors, and some of the challenges facing school libraries today.

How did you know library science was the right fit for you?
My first teaching position was that of enrichment, so I did lots of fine art. That’s when I got into storytelling. I started creating my own puppets using paper bags, recyclables—and I had students do the same thing after I performed. I really enjoy fairy tales and folktales, so I would do a long thematic unit on those, and then allow students to do fractured fairy tales, allow them to be creative. I’ve always been very fortunate to work with all grade levels, which is why a school library was the perfect fit for me. You really do get to have an impact, not just on your classroom but on the entire student population.

And also during the summers when I was an enrichment teacher, I would drive around to yard sales and I would start purchasing children’s books. I started noticing that my collection was growing by the thousands, and it was really hard organizing them. So then I started researching the ways to categorize them, and that’s when I realized that a profession in library science would be great for me! One of my biggest passions is picture books; just managing my huge personal collection opened my eyes to the importance of collection development and exposing students to the variety of authors out there.

We’re always looking for recommendations for multicultural books and bilingual books. Where do you source these kinds of books for students?
Children’s Book Press is a great place to go to look for bilingual and multicultural books; that’s one  place that I like to browse to see what’s out there and what’s got star reviews and the REFORMA newsletter as well. And Pat Mora has written close to 40 or 50 children’s books, which have a lot of bilingual words, and she talks about her childhood in El Paso, and [my] kids can really relate to that. But it’s certainly tough. They are limited. We also have here Cinco Puntos Press, the local publishing company. So that’s another great go-to place that I like to browse.

What are your favorite books for children? What’s most popular at your school?
For early readers, I really like Mo Willems. All of the “Piggie and Elephant” books are just phenomenal at making students realize the power of reading, because they’re just so funny and his illustrations are simple, but they convey so much expression. Students really adore Mo Willems, so he is one of the first authors I always try to introduce with them to try to develop that pleasure of reading.

And then of course, after they start getting older, graphic novels are it. They’re really just revolutionary, the way students read [them]. So some examples would be Lunch Lady, those are very popular at our school library, and Baby Mouse. And of course the “Amelia Rules” books.

I’ve noticed that boys are quick to pick out the Marvel books and all the action heroes [but] I noticed that girls needed something more towards themselves, female protagonists. “Amelia Rules” really has excited our female population here, and they’ve started reading graphic novels as well. So it’s definitely a very popular genre here at Zavala, and it’s everywhere, not just here. And The Boxcar Children graphic novels. We have plenty of the old chapter books but they weren’t really being circulated; ever since the graphic novels came out, an explosion of excitement! So I really do recommend them.

That’s primarily how I’ve been spending my library budget these last two to three years—purchasing graphic novels that are appropriate for them.

What are you most proud of at your school?
Something that is huge here for us is Día de los niños/Día de los libros. Pat Mora, the children’s author and poet, is from El Paso and is actually a dear friend of mine. She comes once a year and she’s been very encouraging of the continuum, the storytelling events that I host for the entire month of April. So I do the folktales and fairytales—to me, they are essential, because they teach morals—and I do a play with my marionette sets and little houses. I put up a performance for every grade level. Then I have third, fourth, and fifth graders do their own plays for the lower grades, which is phenomenal. This is where I encourage their creativity. They’re not to spend any money. I provide them with a box where I receive my Scholastic books or Follett books, and they gather the construction paper, string, and start drawing their marionettes with paper. Everything is paper based.

Zavala students showcase their plays and stages made out of recyclables at Dia 2012.

It’s really exciting for little ones to observe older students’ public speaking and presentation skills! It’s truly been a blessing focusing on that side of storytelling where students are creators and presenters.

Can you tell us more about how you collaborate with classroom teachers?
When they came in to see my [first storytelling] performance, they saw how attentive students were and how excited they were. Storytelling is just one of those things that…I don’t want to say it’s a lost art, but it doesn’t happen anymore, especially the types of marionettes that I use and I also do it bilingually. But it has captivated teachers and they get excited, too. So I think that has really helped for them to help their students, give them class time to work on their little theaters and their marionettes.

Can you tell us more about Día de los niños/Día de los libros in your community?
The last Saturday of April I invite a large group of students to perform at our local [celebration], which is organized by the El Paso Public Library. It’s a huge event here in El Paso, where the community gets free books and there’s all literacy-based activities.We go to the storytelling booth and my students get to present! It’s been wonderful—the audience, and the support that we’ve gotten is quite tremendous.

Storytelling is huge for me. Huge for me. And filming the performances, and showing those in future years. That’s really powerful. It reminds [students] of the power of creativity. Anything captured on video is really neat, and then showing it again to the lower grades—it’s quite a powerful learning tool.

Zavala students perform a Sponge Bob play during El Paso’s Día celebration.

What’s it like to hear back from your students?
The first year that I did the storytelling as a librarian here at Zavala, I had a set of twins who were in fifth grade, and they put on a beautiful Hansel and Gretel play that they wrote. Right now they are finishing middle school, and every year in April they send me a message that they want to help out and do storytelling for Día de los niños/Día de los libros. So it had a huge impact on them.

Who do you collaborate the most with day to day? Does that come naturally to you?
It has to be our faculty, the teachers. Well, throughout my MLIS courses, collaboration was a huge topic. Without it, the library becomes isolated, it becomes an island. So you really do have to go out there and do some outreach yourself with the actual school community, because otherwise students will just come in to get books and they’ll be in and out.

And that’s not the purpose of a library. To me, the public library [is] a community center where people get to enjoy themselves and read whatever—a magazine, a book, a reference material. It’s making them feel welcome. It’s a place for them to relax and have fun.

Lopez poses happily with students the day they were interviewed by local news stations.

How do you feel about being a Mover & Shaker? Do you view yourself as a marketer?
More than a marketer, I feel like a promoter. If you collaborate—and you don’t do everything by yourself, if you collaborate—and you have other people develop an interest, it’s just going to flourish a lot quicker. There’s just no way that I could have done everything that I’ve done by myself, for instance, the LFL movement and Día de los niños/Día de los libros, two wonderful literacy initiatives.

The students have been the most supportive. They can’t believe that we’re close now to 50 Little Free Libraries across our borderlands. They love knowing that we were the pioneers, the first ones in the state of Texas and in El Paso to start this simple yet powerful concept of a free book exchange. So I try to keep them updated on the progress of the libraries and show them the Google map on the LFL website so that they can see. When I started this, there weren’t really that many. Now, we’re talking about thousands.

What do you think are the biggest challenges for school librarians right now?
Budgetary cuts, that’s a huge one, especially here for our school. Ultimately that’s been the main [issue] that’s impacted our school community. Our students were used to receiving free books from Scholastic every year, from Reading is Fundamental, which had been funded since the 1960s by the federal government, and it just got slashed. And this is the first year that they’re not getting any new books at all [through that program]. We would get three free books per student a year and the kids were just excited to come in and choose their own reading materials. It’s a huge sense of ownership.

We are surrounded by extremely low socioeconomic communities, so it really just took away a big part of my job and also what a library stands for. I got lucky: I applied for a grant to the El Paso Community Foundation and they [gave] me $1000 to purchase some more books. .

What is your biggest focus going forward?
For one thing, meeting the diversity of our patrons. A lot of kids now want the technology, they want the gaming, while others [want] the hands-on puppetry, storytelling, the old traditions to enjoy literacy. So it’s meeting those different needs. [And] here for our school, the standardized testing is a major challenge that we all get stressed out about, because it takes away from our authentic teaching and learning. So that is a huge issue that we’re all facing…we’re hoping it will be more of a memory in the years to come. Because it’s really taking away a lot from our students.

When/why did you start your website? Has it accomplished what you wanted?
A lot of our teachers don’t have a blog or personal website that showcases their work, and I tell them that it’s essential. It’s your professional portfolio. You’re letting others know—and not just your local community but other people that are interested in what you’re doing—and they can check it out. And so I created that as a personal library website and I like to add videos of what we’re up to.

What has been the best professional development experience you’ve ever had?
Being an active member of professional library associations has really been the biggest blessing in my career. I started in 2008 with REFORMA; they came to El Paso [for] their conference. I was lucky enough to attend and volunteer and I met the president at the time, and I got to network with some big names in the profession. It was such an eye opener to the essential nature being involved in these professional library associations and attending conferences. So I saw it as a huge step and a great networking tool. [At] ALA Chicago in 2009, I was just amazed. I came back so refreshed and empowered with what I had gathered out there, and the new tools, too, to continue improving myself.

What would you love to do in your career that you haven’t done yet?
I have a lot of people encouraging me to get a Ph.d, but at this time I’m actually expecting my first child, so it’s kind of a change for me! I’m excited, but I understand it’s a completely different journey than the professional. Because I love ALA conferences, professional development and stuff like that. So for now I’m going to start focusing a little bit on family, but I will do this!

I’ve actually considered for a long time moving on to the public sector and starting off as a children’s librarian, and doing the outreach programming. I love that! I really do. After that, I would love to be a branch manager. So those two are on my wish list, and hopefully at some point in my life I will definitely get to experience the public sector.