You can download a printable pdf of the agenda here *


17th Annual Joint Mini-Conference (virtual)

Lifting Our Communities,

Celebrating Diverse Stories


Program Agenda

11:00 AM WELCOME REMARKS - Asuncion Cora, The New York Public Library, NY; REFORMA Northeast Chapter President, 2020-2021

11:05 AM LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT - Louis Muñoz, Jr., The Morristown & Morris Township Library, NJ; ALA Councilor-at- Large; REFORMA Northeast Chapter

11:10 AM KEYNOTE SPEAKERS: Ray Pun, Education/Outreach Manager, Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Stanford University & Candice Wing-yee Mack, Managing Librarian, Young Adult Services, Los Angeles Public Library, CA

Keynote Presentation

11:35 AM PRESENTATION: "Lifting our Communities, Celebrating Puerto Rican Stories,” Aníbal Arocho, Library Manager, Dr. Elizabeth Taveras Rivera, Education Policy Research Associate & Dr. Raquel M. Ortíz Rodríguez, Center for Puerto Rican Studies, Hunter College (CUNY), NY

12:10 PM PRESENTATION: "Serving Immigrant Communities during the Pandemic and Beyond", Xi (Cathy) Chen, Assistant Director, New Americans Program, Queens Public Library, NY

12:45 PM LUNCH - Storytelling with Irania Macias Reymann & Freda Mosquera

1:10 PM PRESENTATION: "Welcoming Spanish Speakers into the Library Using WhatsApp" Nathalie Levine, Library Associate Adult Services & Jetzarel González, Library Associate, Princeton Public Library, NJ

1:45 PM AUTHOR PANEL - “Diverse Romance", Jane Igharo, Priscilla Oliveras & Lillie Vale. Moderated by Miriam Tuliao, Library Marketing Manager, Penguin Random House

2:30 PM PRESENTATION: "Telling our Community's Story"- Shauntee Burns-Simpson, Associate Director of School Outreach, The New York Public Library, NY; 2020-2022 President, BCALA

2:50 PM RNE AWARDS ANNOUNCEMENTS: Ismael Alicea Professional Development Award; Judith Rivas Mini-Grant Award

2:55 PM CLOSING REMARKS - Asuncion Cora, The New York Public Library, NY; REFORMA Northeast Chapter President Elisa Garcia, The New York Public Library, NY; Incoming REFORMA Northeast Chapter President, 2021-2022


3:00PM VIRTUAL NETWORKING TIME