Vol. 22 No. 4 (2016): REFORMA Oregon Chapter

Abstract: During the 2014 OLA Annual Conference in Salem, a group of librarians met informally for lunch to discuss the idea of creating a chapter of REFORMA (The National Association to Promote Library and Information to Latinos and Spanish Speaking) in Oregon.

In our second meeting at the end of 2014 in the Gresham branch of the Multnomah County Library (MCL), we formalized the creation of the REFORMA Oregon Chapter. By mid-2015, we became a Round Table in OLA. During this short period of time, we have increased in numbers, organized well-attended presentations during OLA conferences, held Mock Pura Belpré Awards, and scheduled quarterly meetings where participants have opportunities to share experiences and to network, as well as to present a different array of subjects related to our Latino and Spanish-speaking community.

In the current issue of OLAQ, five librarians coming from different cultural origins but with the same enthusiasm to serve our community are exploring some of the issues presented in this introduction. Their articles reflect two common tasks for every librarian working with Latinos: outreach and collaboration.

Guest Editor: Martin Blasco, Washington County Cooperative Library Services

Editor Biography: A native of Argentina, Martín Blasco has worked with underserved communities for many years. Before becoming a librarian, he carried out ethnographic and social research among drug users in New York City. Upon receiving his MLS from Long Island University, he began working in Peekskill, New York, where his outreach work began not as an official title, but by necessity to serve new immigrants. He is working now as an Outreach Librarian for Latino and Multicultural Services at Washington County Cooperative Library Services.