Mayra Fuentes, San Jose State University School of Information
Candidate for Student Representative
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Candidate Statement
Mayra Fuentes is currently a second year graduate student at San Jose State University. In 2017, she began working for the Los Angeles Public Library as an after-school tutor and a library page. Mayra has always had a strong desire to serve her community: REFORMA, volunteer work as an organizer for a local community garden, bilingual advocacy at a large medical facility, and as a representative in her neighborhood council meetings. Now, Mayra wants to extend the opportunity for students throughout California to participate in their local community as well as the library community through CLA.
One of the goals Mayra hopes to achieve as a student representative is foster an inclusive environment where students and potential library students can find a peer or mentor. Networking and mentorship has been a vital component for Mayra’s decision to attend graduate school and pursue librarianship, who without she may not receive assistance in obtaining scholarships and professional guidance. Mayra acknowledges that
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establishing these connections may be difficult, especially for distance learning students, but CLA offers diverse opportunities for students to feel included. Advocating for more student involvement will help CLA’s understanding of student concerns, questions, and accomplishments.
One of the reasons Mayra decided to run for student representative is in part due to the content she learned about through the Leadership Development training opportunities. Through these workshops, she began to change her own perspective of how leadership is defined and the qualities attached to the concept. Mayra hopes that more students can attend these types of workshops and change their own framework of understanding. Mayra hopes to use her skills and background to serve as CLA’s student representative and as advocate for libraries.
Questionaire
1. Why are you interested in this position?
I am interested in this position because I want to help current and future MLIS students understand the resources CLA offers. For example, my journey into librarianship was aided by more experienced librarians and support staff who saw my skills and fostered an interest in informally mentoring me. I would like to share the mentorship experience that CLA offers to students who are unaware of its existence or afraid to apply. Another key reason I am interested in this position is because I want to expand current student involvement at local and statewide conferences. As an online student, I am removed from the typical classroom setting and at times felt disconnected from my peers. When I attended CLA workshops, I felt empowered and motivated to become more active within my community. Serving as a student representative would give me a unique opportunity to encourage others in seeking networking opportunities with established professionals and begin to see how meaningful their work is throughout California.
2. How would you describe your personal leadership/communication style?
My personal leadership style is collaborative. I am someone who seeks to engage with new ideas and concepts that differ from my own. Therefore, my communication style preference seeks to use people-first language that is inclusive and respectful. I also someone who believes in adaptive leadership – meaning that I think about what is useful in the immediate situation but also consider the collective implications of the change I advocate for.
3. What strengths would you bring to the position?
The strengths I bring into this position is my love of public service. I have worked with the general public to share and inform them of important sources. I have a desire to continue this type of work within this position and reach out to students who are unfamiliar with CLA and the work it does. Outreach services, which is already part of my job experience, is a role I seek to fulfill. I have previous work experience as a Student Lead and Undergraduate Research Assistant where I worked remotely with a large team to accomplish common goals and targets. I will bring this collaborative drive into this position to make the most out of my responsibilities and tasks.
4. What experience do you bring to this position?
As a resident of Los Angeles and public library employee, I have the experience in speaking in public and connecting to diverse stakeholders. I have a background in serving immigrants, first-generation college students, veterans, and individuals with language differences. As mentioned, I am currently part of an internal leadership development group that communicates remotely. This requires an ability to contribute to meetings via webcam, email, and in-person meetings.
5. What issues or trends are particularly informing your work at this time?
A trend I’ve noticed is the expansion of STEAM programming at public libraries beyond children’s programming. As technology becomes ever present, libraries have the unique opportunity to provide equitable access to emerging technologies such as 3D printers, augmented reality, and other makerspaces. These trends also bring to light the issues around open access such as when discussing the online communities that contribute free 3D printing files. This is important in the age of Big Data and ensure that libraries remain committed to the right of user privacy as well.
6. Who are the thought leaders (in libraries or in other fields) who interest you?
Professor Anthony Bernier at San Jose State University is someone who has captured my interest. His most recent research that I participated in is the ALA funded Diversity Research grant titled “Searching for First Generation LIS Student Success”. This topic is close to my own experience as a first-generation college graduate and experience as an online graduate student. I believe his research will give insights into the current state of information science education and the importance that first-generation students have in becoming librarians. I find this research is amazing because as a profession, librarians have seldom been analyzed within this context. I hope the findings will demonstrate how libraries can expand their role as inclusive institutions to the experiences of first-generation students.
7. Who are the regional and statewide stakeholders libraries need to be in communication with?
The stakeholders that libraries need to be in communication with is firstly its users. This includes individuals of all ages, not just adults. Children and teenagers can be some of the strongest advocates of libraries because they understand the special role libraries have in serving them. Through extension, the next group of stakeholders are educators, community leaders, and local governments. Our biggest supporters are actual library users who can collaborate with CLA as a public platform to vocalize the importance of libraries. We also need to connect with academic libraries and special libraries to bridge the common goals across all libraries for effective communication.
8. What do you feel are the most critical challenges and opportunities facing California libraries right now?
One of the most critical challenge facing California libraries is funding. Most recently, Congress has proposed massive cuts to library services offered through LSTA. Although funding was secured, libraries are in a perpetual fight for funding that meets the increased demand from library patrons. This presents an opportunity for libraries to demonstrate that what we offer is more than just books, we offer a diverse array of learning skills that extend beyond the library. Our programs offer career training, information literacy skills, computing skills, and essential childhood development programs.
9. Describe your experience serving on Association committees and/or interest groups.
I am currently part of an internal leadership development committee that is composed of library staff from all levels. We come from diverse cultural, education, and professional backgrounds. This has given me the opportunity to learn from others and collaborate on ideas that will take place in our organization. Part of this project requires monthly meetings where we work forward to reach our project’s goals and seek to find solutions to a multifaced project.
10. Describe your network of connections with library professionals and library stakeholders in California.
As a graduate student, I have sought to develop connections with library professionals in my city. I joined the Los Angeles REFORMA chapter in 2018 when I began my program and learned how to expand my connections into larger organizations. As a public library employee, I also take the opportunity to attend CLA workshops that are near me to connect to librarians from other library systems. I am also an active member of my school’s ALA student chapter, where we meet at various libraries for tours and to establish professional connections.
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