CHICAGO — Congratulations to Loanis Menendez-Cuesta, reference and young adult librarian of Delray Beach (Fla.) Public Library. She is the recipient of the Public Library Association (PLA) fellowship to attend the 2011 REFORMA National Conference – Elevating Latino Library Services to a Higher Level:  Juntos (Together) in the Mile-High City!, Sept. 15-18 in Denver.

Applicants for the fellowship were asked to describe ways they envision elevating access to public library services for Latinos and Spanish-speaking communities. Menendez-Cuesta shared, “I believe that teaching and learning are not only empowering, but liberating, and essential to a democratic society.  When barriers of language, access, immigration status, etc. stand between the individuals we serve and their educational goals, librarians are here to break through.  We are the experts in the field and about the information needs of the community we serve. ”

As the newly elected president of the REFORMA de Florida Chapter, she looks forward to attending the conference, sharing ideas and gaining new inspiration to bring back to her library and Latino communities in her state.

REFORMA is the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking.

PLA is a division of the American Library Association. PLA’s core purpose is to strengthen public libraries and their contribution to the communities they serve, and its mission is to enhance the development and effectiveness of public library staff and public library services.

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