Innovative Approaches to EDI in Texas Libraries
LIVE from San Antonio, TX!

Tamiko Brown
Fort Bend Independent School District

Dean Hendrix
University of Texas at San Antonio

Shirley Robinson
Texas Library Association

Ramiro Salazar
San Antonio Public Library

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MODERATORS

Patricia “Patty” Wong
ALA President

Tracie D. Hall
ALA Executive Director

As the saying goes, “Everything is bigger in Texas.” The Lone Star state is home to 29 million people, three of the largest cities in the U.S and has one of the highest diversity indexes in the country.  It is a state steeped in tradition but building for the future and navigating all the challenges and opportunities that come with growth. Academic, school, and public libraries across Texas are rising to the challenge. Join us as library leaders share their innovative approaches to meeting the needs of their diverse communities.

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Tamiko Brown – Library Coordinator, Fort Bend International District

Tamiko Brown is a Library Coordinator with over 20 years of experience and a school librarian. In 2014, news about a student Maker Faire hosted by President Obama inspired Brown to give students a chance to tinker, and adding a maker space was one of her first steps toward bringing the library into the 21st century. Her maker space talks have been featured at the Texas Computer Education Association and Texas Library Association conferences, and CCISD’s What’s Trending: Librarians as Leaders Conference.

Librarians throughout Texas look to Brown as a leader. She frequently speaks to community organizations, and hosts tours of her library for other librarians from the school district or state. She has also taught a Social Studies Methods night course at the University of Houston Clear Lake (UHCL). 

Brown’s array of STEM activities feeds the wider goal of teaching critical thinking and how to collaborate. She aims to provide access to opportunities for all kids, regardless of socioeconomic status. She was awarded the 2016 Campus Teacher of the Year and the 2017 SLJ School Librarian of the Year.

Dean Hendrix – Dean of Libraries, University of Texas at San Antonio

As Dean of Libraries, Dean Hendrix provides leadership, strategic direction and vision for the UTSA Libraries, the Institute for Texan Cultures, and the UTSA Art Collection. Identified as a top 20 researcher in library and information science worldwide by the journal, Scientometrics, he focuses his research on bibliometrics, research impact, strategic planning, social networks, and open educational resources
 
Active in the profession since 2000, Hendrix has advocated for open educational resources, novel uses of technology, equity, diversity and inclusion, and bold leadership in our communities. He has led the UTSA Libraries to fully embrace its democratic and social justice missions by aligning with several civil rights and immigrant rights groups, including Academia America, the Mexican American Civil Rights Institute (MACRI), Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA), and the National Chicano Student Walkouts Conference. He was awarded the State University of New York (SUNY) Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Librarianship in 2012.

Shirley Robinson – Executive Director, Texas Library Association

Shirley Robinson, CAE accepted the position of Executive Director for the Texas Library Association, effective January 9, 2020. She has more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit trade association management at statewide organizations. She is a member-focused leader with a proven record of implementing successful initiatives and sustaining organizational growth.

Robinson is a skilled and experienced manager of both people and resources.  As a successful relationship builder and collaborator, she exhibits a membership-focused service philosophy, and has extensive experience working with members, boards, volunteers, vendors, and community partners.  She brings experience in conference planning; advocacy; budgeting and financial management; fundraising and grant writing; and technology, including association management system (AMS) migration and implementation. She is experienced in working with statewide organizations with missions and values similar to TLA’s – to serve the public good. 

Ramiro Salazar – Director San Antonio Public Library

Ramiro Salazar joined the City of San Antonio, Texas, as Director of the Public Library in April 2005. He is responsible for the delivery of library services to approximately 1.9 million residents in San Antonio and Bexar County, Texas. He provides management oversight for the library system, consisting of the downtown Central Library, 29 library outlets, and he leads a team of over 550 employees.

Since joining the San Antonio Public Library, Mr. Salazar has led efforts to complete capital improvements and other major projects, including expansion and/or renovation of thirteen existing branches and the opening of ten new library locations.

The San Antonio Public Library offers an extensive collection of English and Spanish language books, eBooks, music, and audio books of all genres for check out and a growing digital collection. The Library Department also offers a variety of programs for children, teens, seniors, and special needs populations. 

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MODERATORS

Patricia "Patty" Wong – ALA President

Patricia (Patty) Wong is the first Asian American to serve as president of the American Library Association. Her term began July 2021 and closes at the adjournment of the 2022 Annual Conference. Wong has been an active ALA member for 37 years. She is a member of the Freedom to Read Foundation and, as an ALA Executive Board member, has worked with the association’s Intellectual Freedom Committee, Committee on Legislation, and the Conference Committee.

She is the City Librarian for the Santa Clara City Library. She has worked as a school librarian, children’s librarian, cataloger, and special librarian, as well as leadership roles in public libraries. Her work in managing change, equity and diversity, youth development, developing joint ventures and collaborations between public libraries and community agencies, and fundraising has been published in a number of journals, conference proceedings and edited collections. Wong also is the recipient of several awards, including the 2012 ALA Equality Award, CALA Distinguished Service Award (2014), and Member of the Year, California Library Association (2012).

She is also adjunct faculty for the iSchool at San Jose State University where she has taught hundreds of students to serve young people and write grants to benefit local and regional communities —and make the world a better place.

Tracie D. Hall – ALA Executive Director

In February 2020, Tracie D. Hall was appointed the American Library Association’s 10th executive director in its 143-year history. In her new role, Hall oversees the oldest and largest library association in the world, made up of 57,000 members and more than 200 staffers. Hall is the first female African American executive director in ALA’s history.

Upon Hall’s appointment, ALA President, Wanda K. Brown, observed that “Her unique combination of philanthropy and library know-how positioned her to be the leader ALA needs today. She is optimistic, energizing, and innovative, qualities that will serve the association well as it continues its investments in advocacy, development, and information technology.” She was among the first cohort of ALA’s Spectrum Scholars, and she served as the director of ALA’s Office for Diversity. Most recently, Hall directed the culture portfolio at the Chicago-based Joyce Foundation, developing new grant programs designed to foster greater equity and diversity in arts administration, catalyze and scale neighborhood-based arts venues, cultural programming, and creative entrepreneurship.