Name: Sheridan Jay Cazarez
Title: Early Literacy/Reading Program Specialist, Long Beach Public Library
Primary service role:
I work in the Youth and Family Services Department at the Long Beach Public Library, and in my role I provide systemwide programming for children and families, reference, outreach, and help coordinate Summer Reading and Dive Into Reading, the Long Beach Public Library’s version of 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten. I also assist with maintaining the Main Library’s Spanish collections.
How does your work alight with service to Latinos and Spanish-speaking communities?
The City of Long Beach is 47% Latinx, and 34% of the population speaks Spanish. I’m privileged to work with a supervisor, Cynthia Bautista (you might’ve heard of her) who is also biliterate and bicultural, so we strive to provide programming, outreach materials, reference, and services in both English and Spanish. We also constantly advocate for Spanish speakers when the library is implementing new services or programs. There’s highs and lows, sometimes we fail, sometimes we feel frustrated, sometimes we triumph and do a little dance, but we keep luchando no matter what.
Gratifying aspects of your work:
It’s intensely gratifying to see the everyday impacts of the work we do, those daily interactions with members of my community. From the moment of gratitude when you help someone attach a document to an email, the excitement when someone loved a book you recommended, or the absolute relief you see in someone when you say “Sí, hablo español.” On occasion I get a hug from a storytime kid, or one of their parents tells me that they’re singing storytime songs at home, and it’s nice to feel like I’m playing my little part to enrich the lives of others. I grew up at the library, it provided me with a space to learn and grow. As an adult I’ve found my vocation in public library work and in striving to be for someone else what my childhood librarians were for me. It’s an honor to serve my community, and especially through an organization that gave me so much.
Some words of advice to other librarians and/or present and future MLIS students:
Mainly for people new to libraries: get to know the circulation staff! Learn how to check out, check in, make library cards, process holds, work the cash register, etc. That way when you’re walking by circulation and you see they have a line, you can be equipped to get behind the desk and give them a hand. Clerks and pages always know what’s going on, and do tons of vital work for not a lot of credit so be sure to know them, support them and treat them with respect.
Previous programs that I have done:
Cuentos y Cantos, a bilingual storytime in tandem with Spectrum recipient Luisa Leija, which features original translations of songs, books and fingerplays to make the entire program completely bilingual and culturally relevant to Latinos and Latin Americans.
Vida Latina, the Long Beach Public Library’s celebration of Latino Heritage Month featuring around 30 mostly bilingual programs aligned with Latino and Latin American culture and history. We screened films, had bilingual authors read their work aloud and lead a panel on bilingual education, played Lotería with a do-it-yourself esquite bar, had bilingual storytime, ¡de todo!
Tamalada, a tamale making program for all ages. I gave a short talk on the history of tamales from their indigenous roots to their modern varieties, and then a short demonstration of how to make them. Then the participants were able to put their manos en la masa and try spreading masa on corn husks and banana leaves along with sharing their family’s stories or traditions of tamale making.
Spanish Reading Circle, I created a preschool level curriculum to teach introductory level Spanish vocabulary and verbs to non-Spanish speaking kids through art, stories, songs, and activities. Some of the subjects we covered were colors, letters, days of the week, animals, and verbs like ser, estar, and ir.