Celebrating Hispanic American Heritage Month with the SALALM Librarians!

Each year, as part of Hispanic American Heritage Month, UC Berkeley Library’s Social Sciences Division, the Seminar on Acquisitions of Latin American Materials (SALALM) membership committee, and the Oakland Public Library present programs highlighting the contributions of Hispanic Americans to the cultural and intellectual life of the United States.

While discussions about terms such as Hispanic American and Latinx remain important, this webinar focuses on the work of librarians who serve their communities every day. Panelists will discuss their career paths, the challenges and opportunities they have encountered in their professional lives, and their perspectives on area and global studies librarianship including how their expertise can help libraries better serve diverse communities.

The event is free and open to all with advance registration.

Date: Thursday, September 24, 2026

Time: 12:00–1:30 pm Pacific / 3:00–4:30 pm Eastern

Register Here:https://t.ly/Id818

Amanda T. Moreno-SchroederAmanda T. Moreno-Schroeder is the Esperanza Bravo de Varona Chair and Director of the Cuban Heritage Collection (CHC) at the University of Miami Libraries. She holds dual master's degrees in Latin American and Caribbean Studies (NYU) and Library and Information Science (Long Island University), supported by a NYU MacCracken Fellowship, an ALA Spectrum Scholarship, and an ARL Diversity Fellowship. She participated in the Smithsonian Latino Museum Studies Program (2015), was an Andrew W. Mellon Fellow for Diversity, Inclusion & Cultural Heritage at Rare Book School (2020–2024), and was named a UCLA Library Senior Fellow in 2026. As CHC Director, she oversees collection development, public programming, community engagement, and fundraising. She previously served as the Collection's Archivist (2017–2023), managing archival collections documenting Cuba and its diaspora. Within SALALM, she co-chaired the Scholarship Committee (2020–2022), chaired the Special Collections and Archives Committee (2023–2026), and was elected Vice-President/President-Elect in 2026. She also co-chaired the Latin American and Caribbean Cultural Heritage Archives Section of the Society of American Archivists (2018–2020). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Paloma Barraza Paloma Barraza is the History, Iberian, and Latin American Studies Librarian in the Arts, Humanities, & Area Studies Department at the University of Minnesota Libraries (since 2023). She liaises with the History, Chicano/Latino Studies, and Spanish & Portuguese departments. She holds an MLIS from the University of Arizona and an MA in Art History (Art of the Americas) from the University of New Mexico, with experience in archives, museums, and academic and public libraries. Paloma serves as SALALM Member-at-Large (2026–2029) and Convener of the Midwest Organization of Libraries for Latin American Studies (MOLLAS). Since 2026, she has been Secretary of the Latin American Collections Committee within the Center for Research Libraries Global Connections Committee. -------------------------------------------------- Janette Núñez Janette Núñez is the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Librarian and Archivist at Michigan State University Libraries (since 2022). In this role, she oversees collection development, archival processing, exhibitions, and public programming. She is also an active member of the Seminar on the Acquisition of Latin American Library Materials, where she serves as co-chair of both the Research and Instruction Services Committee and Special Collections and Archives Committee. She holds an MS in Information Studies and an MA in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin, where she was a Graduate Research Assistant at the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection. She completed her BA in Latin American Studies and Politics at University of California, Santa Cruz and previously interned in the Hispanic Reading Room at the Library of Congress. Her research focuses on the intersections of archives, human rights, and collective memory. --------------------------------------------- Melissa Jerome Melissa Jerome is the Digital Initiatives Librarian for the Latin American and Caribbean Collection at the George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida. She leads the development and management of digital collections, with expertise in newspaper digitization, digital humanities, and digital scholarship. She has led numerous grant-funded digitization initiatives focused on Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Latinx diaspora, and publishes on digital collection development, bilingual digital publishing, and equitable access to cultural heritage. She also organizes the Latin American and Caribbean Digital Humanities Symposium. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Melissa Aslo de la Torre Melissa Aslo de la Torre is the Librarian for Latin American, Caribbean, Spanish, and Portuguese Studies at New York University Libraries. A scholar and memory worker, she is recognized for her research on queer and trans archival practices in Latin America. She is a founding member of the Malflora Collective, dedicated to preserving and documenting the lives and legacies of Latina/e lesbians. Her scholarship explores collective memory, zine-making, and visual activism. She holds an MA in Latin American Studies and an MS in Information Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. — Celebrating Hispanic American Heritage Month 2026 with SALALM Librarians