-ALA Conference and Spectrum Scholar 2022
What an honor it was for me to be a Spectrum Scholar!
As part of this journey in pursuing a master's degree, I applied for some scholarships to help finance my studies. One that I obtained was the ALA Spectrum Scholarship in 2021. That year, 60 students pursuing graduate degrees in library and information studies were honored with the award.
The Spectrum Scholarship Program provides scholarships to American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, Middle Eastern, North African, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students to assist them with obtaining a graduate degree and leadership positions within the profession and the American Library Association (ALA). Through Spectrum, ALA affirms its commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion by seeking the broadest participation of new generations of racially and ethnically diverse librarians (ALA, 2022).
As a requirement to maintain the award, scholars must participate in the Spectrum Institute in Washington, DC, during ALA Conferences. Sponsors cover all the expenses, including lodging, food, and flight tickets. It was five days of adding knowledge in the library fields, interacting with colleagues, meeting new people and authors, exploring Washington DC, and learning about new technologies, books, and services in the information organization field.
During that time, I assisted in several panel discussions. Some of them were Things They Didn't Teach Me in Library School, EDI Backlash - Preparing librarians for worst-case scenarios, and Zoom Interviews and Salary Negotiations. A group of professionals in the field prepared these themes and shared their experiences with scholars. My favorite part of the weekend was being present at the Pura Belpré Awards. As a Children's librarian, I felt honored to meet the authors of the books that I read to children in the library. Also, I felt proud of this group of Latin people doing big things in the United States and putting our culture at a high level.
I arrived home feeling so proud of the profession and finished that weekend empowered, energized, and ready to serve my community better. This short video highlights my weekend in Washington, DC, as a Spectrum Scholar!