Mario A. Ascencio
College Librarian/Managing Director, ArtCenter College of Design
What is your primary library service role?
My title is College Librarian and Managing Director. This means that I am the library director for my organization. I oversee the College Library over a two-campus system.
How does your work align with service to Latinos and Spanish-speaking communities?
We don’t have many Latinx or Spanish Speaking students at ArtCenter. Therefore, I consider my connection to REFORMA ever more so important because I’m able to serve as a mentor, serve on committees, and network with colleagues.
What is your favorite aspect about your work?
My favorite aspect of my work is being able to make an impact on people’s lives. I no longer work one-on-one with students or faculty. I’m responsible for the big picture. So, making decisions about the library’s services (with our library users in mind) is what I like.
What advice do you have for other librarians and present/future MLIS students?
My professional career has always been tied to professional associations, such as REFORMA. So, my advice to other librarians and future librarians is to get involved in REFORMA and similar organizations. It’s a place where you can get involved and develop leadership skills that you may not be getting on the job.
What programs have you been in charge of or involved with?
I’ve never really been in charge of programs, but one thing that I’ve made happen at ArtCenter College of Design is to invite Pura Belpre illustrator winners and honorees to speak to our students during Latinx Heritage Month. So far, we’ve had John Parra (ArtCenter Alumnus), Raul the Third, and Rafael Lopez (ArtCenter Alumnus). The idea is to invite a Pura Belpre illustrator winner and/or honoree to speak at ArtCenter. I would like to expand this idea and to invite illustrator winners and/or honorees of the Coretta Scott King award and the Asian/Pacific American Award.
What personal interests or hobbies do you have that you would like to share?
I enjoy traveling, architecture, art, and music. I enjoy visiting museums and libraries. My undergraduate degree is in art history from California State University, Northridge (CSUN). During my time at CSUN, I studied abroad in Florence, Italy for a year during the 1995-96 school year. This has been the best educational experience of my life. I got to travel, learn about art, and visit many museums throughout Europe. In addition, I’ve always felt that my life has been so defined by being a librarian - I constantly want to help people. So, being able to mesh my passions for art and libraries has provided me with a rich career as an art librarian. Sadly, the pandemic disrupted our lives…and it literally took people’s lives. For me, it meant that I wasn’t able to travel and visit museums and libraries in other parts of the world. So, now that the pandemic seems to be slowing down, I’m excited to be planning a big trip next year. In April 2023, I’ll be returning to Florence, Italy for the first time in 27 years. I can’t wait to share my love for Florentine art with my husband. Truth be told, I’m also trying to schedule an appointment at the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana (The Laurentian Library) in Florence to see if I can see the Florentine Codex, the 16th-century ethnographic research study in Mesoamerica by the Spanish Franciscan friar Bernardino de Sahagún.