Alejandra Alfaro
Assistant Upper School Librarian
Polytechnic School
Primary Service Roles:
I assist the Upper School Librarian with the daily operations of a high school library. As the assistant librarian, my days never look the same! However, you can usually find me helping students with research projects, teaching information literacy lessons, supervising the library, working on the monthly library newsletter, planning programs, supporting students in my advisory, shelving books, and most importantly developing relationships with our students.
How does your work align with service to Latinos and Spanish-speaking communities?:
I have worked hard to bring awareness to local Latinos/Latinas who are making a difference in our community. For example, we recently hosted YA author Isabel Quintero who talked about her experience as an author who was raised in the Inland Empire. We also hosted the owner of Todo Verde, Jocelyn Ramirez, to talk about her work with food justice in communities of color.
With the pandemic, a lot of programs have unfortunately been put on hold, but I’m hoping to bring even more speakers of color to our school!
How have you assisted your community during the COVID-19 pandemic?:
I am most proud of how I have assisted my advisory during the pandemic. At our school, each student is a part of an advisory group with about 6 students. During advisory, students have the opportunity to get to connect with an adult who can help support them academically and emotionally throughout high school. Since the pandemic started, I have found that advisory has been super helpful for the students during a time when many have been battling with the struggles of isolation.
Some words of advice to other librarians/library staff and/or present and future MLIS students:
Apply for scholarships! I always say that I have the best job in the world, and it honestly would not have been possible without the help of scholarships!
Previous programs that I have done:
The 9th graders are just starting their big research paper, so I’ve been busy meeting with students individually to help them navigate the research process. For many, this is their first time conducting research, so it’s been really helpful for me to find out what they need help with the most.