Contact: Elizabeth Dreazen
312-280-3203
ALA News Release
For Immediate Release
February 2001
ALA names Dr. Arnulfo D. Trejo as honorary member
Dr. Arnulfo D. Trejo, was elected to honorary membership in the American Library Association (ALA) in an action taken by the ALA Council at the recent ALA Midwinter Meeting in Washington, D.C.
Honorary membership, ALA's highest honor, is conferred in recognition of outstanding contributions of lasting importance to libraries and librarianship.
Dr. Trejo was honored "in recognition of his influence on Latino librarianship; his many contributions to library education and recruitment, which enabled him to serve as a role model and mentor to a wide range of library leaders in the Southwest, nationally and internationally; his service as the founder of REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking; his efforts to increase the availability of Spanish language materials for libraries; and his long and distinguished career as a librarian, author, scholar and businessman."
Trejo was the founder and first president (1971-74) of REFORMA and continues to promote reading and library skills in Latino youth by devoting energy to the establishment of REFORMITA chapters. In 1992, he created the Foster-Trejo Foundation for Hispanic Library Education.
As a library professor and educator, Trejo was instrumental in creating numerous programs and opportunities for Hispanic/Latino librarians. At the University of Arizona Graduate School of Library and Information Science, he established the Graduate Library Institute for Spanish-Speaking Americans (GLISA) to recruit and train bilingual/bicultural librarians to serve the growing Spanish-speaking community in the United States.
Trejo also serves as president of Hispanic Books Distributors, which he founded to increase the availability of Spanish-language materials to libraries in the United States.
He began his long career in librarianship at the National University of Mexico in Mexico City, where he served as assistant librarian and reference librarian. He held library positions at the University of California at Los Angeles and California State University, Long Beach, before moving to the University of Arizona in 1965. At the University of Arizona, Trejo served as assistant professor (1965-66), associate professor of library science (1966-68); associate professor of library science and English (1970-75); professor of library science (1975-1982); and professor emeritus, school of information resources and information sciences.
Trejo has written and edited many books and articles, including Quien es Quien: A Who's Who of Spanish Speaking Librarians in the United States; Bibliografia Chicana: A Guide to Information Services; Seminario on Library and Information Services for the Spanish-Speaking; and The Chicanos: As We See Ourselves.
Trejo has received many honors and awards, including the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Kent State University School of Library Science; the Distinguished Service Award from the University of Arizona School of Information Resources and Library Science, and the REFORMA Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Honorary Membership plaque will be presented in June 2001, during the opening general session of the ALA Annual Conference in San Francisco.