The Rita Torres / Bibliotecas Para La Gente
Scholarship Fall 2011
Established in 1975, Bibliotecas Para La Gente (BPLG) advocates for and provides library services to the Spanish speaking and Latino communities of Northern California. BPLG has established
a $1000 scholarship for a new or a continuing SJSU SLIS student who has demonstrated an interest in furthering the goals of BPLG in providing library service to the Spanish and Latino communities.
Scholarship Deadline: November 15, 2011
About Rita Torres
Rita Torres was employed in 1976 as the first bilingual/bicultural librarian to head the Biblioteca Latinoamericana, a federally funded project that provided a full spectrum of Spanish language library service to the greater San Jose community. Spanish language library services were Rita’s passion and she worked with her staff and colleagues to provide Reference services, reader’s advisory, and children’s services for Spanish speaking library customers. Leaving the Biblioteca Latinoamericana, Rita moved on to the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library as head of the newly created Foreign Languages Department and became the lead for the Collection Development team that grew collections to represent 80+languages. Throughout her career Rita has been a friend and mentor to the members of the community, and to the library assistants and librarians who learned and worked along side of her providing services to the Spanish speaking community. As a young professional Rita Torres joined Bibliotecas Para La Gente and volunteered with BPLG throughout her career. It is in honor of her commitment and work that the BPLG scholarship is named in her honor.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Candidates may be new or continuing students.
- Candidates must live in Northern California.
- The candidates must demonstrate experience and/or interest in working with the Latino and Spanish speaking community on the job and/or as a community volunteer.
- The candidates must provide evidence of Spanish language proficiency and/or cultural competency in the Latino community. Candidate can document language proficiency and cultural awareness through job and/or community experience in the essay or through reference letters.
- A candidate applying to the SJSU SLIS program must provide documentation of admittance to the university prior to distribution of scholarship. .
Application Requirements Incude:
- A 2-3 page personal statement describing work or volunteer experience with a Latino and/or Spanish speaking community. Describe the information needs of these communities in Northern California, and how the candidate can contribute to their information needs. Candidates should demonstrate their technological awareness by suggesting how technology may be used to provide services to the Latino community. Include a description of any leadership role in work/volunteer experience.
- Two reference letters: One letter from a librarian who is aware of your work and/or community service and your desire to work in the library; a second letter from a community leader who knows your career goals, work and/or community service.
- A recent resume that includes all library and related community service work.
- New students must document application to the SLIS program through an acceptance letter and include their most recent college transcript. Current SLIS students can submit unofficial transcripts from the MYSJSU account.
Additional Requirements:
- The scholarship recipient will attend a BPLG meeting for formal recognition and will be given partial payment of $500. Travel expenses to the meeting will be reimbursed.
- The remaining balance will be awarded at the end of the Fall 2011 semester upon receipt of transcript documenting completion of units attempted.
Send application materials to: Peggy Cabrera, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, San Jose State University, One Washington Square, San Jose, CA 95192-0028. For more information, send email to Peggy Cabrera or call 408-808-2034.