I am ALA

Meet ALA Member: Amilcar Pérez

ABOUT

Amilcar Pérez
Adult Services and Outreach Librarian
Forest Park Public Library
Forest Park, IL
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What exciting projects are you working on now?

Having moved from Montreal, Canada, and after working in college and public libraries, I was offered a position at the Forest Park Public as Adult Services Librarian in 2016. It has been a very enriching experience to collaborate in several projects. From establishing new programming for entrepreneurs, career seekers, and digital literacy to representing the library at multiple forums, I have greatly enjoyed my time at FPPL. Currently, after a recent promotion, I am working on the implementation of a method to assess our programs and on designing home delivery, volunteer, and technology initiatives and services. Also, as a co-chair of the BRASS Business Reference for Public Libraries Committee, I am collaborating on the update and consolidation of its online content and on the coordination for the committee Forum at ALA 2019.

Where do you hope this will take your library in the future?

I will continue to create and implement programs and services and I look forward to the expansion of our program assessment method to the library level. I find myself in a strategic position between the identification of access points for data collection and their collation and visualization to ultimately illustrate the indisputable contribution of our library to the economic development, lifelong learning, and quality of life of our community.

What are you most proud of?

In my journey through librarianship in public and academic libraries in Canada and the USA, in English, French, and Spanish, the conditions have been such that I have been able to identify areas of improvement. Having being able to gain the support and collaboration of staff to propose and implement solutions has been a great accomplishment. Ultimately, these experiences in different settings have enabled the means to be impacted and to impact different audiences.

How are you involved with ALA and what’s your favorite thing about being a member?

Being part of ALA groups has been a great channel to learn and collaborate. I have served in the RUSA Committee on Multilingual Services and I am currently co-chairing the Business Reference in Public Libraries Committee. In addition, I was recently invited to contribute with an article published on the Public Libraries Magazine (http://bit.ly/2tY4u2m), on seeking trainers and presenters for tech programs. Needless to say, annual conferences are a clear highlight of being part of ALA; and so, I am excited and getting ready for New Orleans this year. In sum, being a member of a larger professional community with similar goals and common values and struggles, is a great opportunity to grow. It has allowed me to broaden my perspective and sharpen my profile to keep contributing to my library and the field.