Lessa Kanani'opua Pelayo-Lozada
Adult Services Assistant Manager
Palos Verdes Library District
Primary Service Roles: As the Adult Services Assistant Manager, one of my primary roles is to supervise our on call librarians, many of whom are new to the profession and are gaining experience before acquiring full time positions. Engaging with, training, and mentoring our new librarians is one of the most fulfilling parts of my position and while I am always sad to see them go when they gain full time employment, I am always happy that there are such forward thinking librarians and library workers out there making a difference in their communities.
How does your work align with service to Latinos and Spanish-speaking communities?: As chair of my library's racial equity team, BUILD, we are providing resource and opportunities for an increasingly diversifying community on the Peninsula. We do this through our website, pvld.org/racialequity as well as through programs to help residents understand how to become truly inclusive and racially equitable in what was not too long ago a fairly homogenous community. We also provide opportunities for informal mentoring and support of our BIPOC staff members who have varying experiences with other staff and community members. For all staff we offer opportunities to engage and learn around equity of all types, encouraging professional development and continued growth.
How have you assisted your community during the COVID-19 pandemic?: Like most of us, our service has moved to online programming and curbside/to go pickups and PVLD has been no different. One of my favorite pandemic passive offerings and one of the first things I put together back in March is a website of socially distanced resources called Explore and More (pvld.org/exploreandmore). While it has changed over the last 10 months as folks return to more and more activities outside their home, it has primarily remained a spot where our community members can go for physical and mental health resources. The page continues to evolve as our pandemic experiences and needs evolve but has become a staple of our digital outreach and passive programming via social media.
Some words of advice to other librarians/library staff and/or present and future MLIS students: Be open to unexpected opportunities and broaden your network as much as you can. For me, engagement with associations like Reforma have been one of the most fulfilling experiences I've had in my professional career. Without these organizations to help support me, especially as a new professional, I'm not sure I would be as satisfied with my career or have such a strong network of peers to lean on and collaborate with. I am so thankful for our National Associations of Librarians of Color!
Previous programs that I have done: My favorite programs during the pandemic have been our virtual art programs (pvld.org/artinourlibrary). As coordinator of the Peninsula Center Library's Art in Our Library Program, I wanted to ensure that our annual community art show, which typically draws over 75 artists from around Southern California, remained an annual event. I was able to reimagine our community art show in a virtual gallery and have extended that experience to our next annual event, the final art show for our local high school. Bringing our community artists together is one of my favorite duties at PVLD and I am so glad to be able to keep it going during this chaotic time.