Pura Belpré Librarian of the Year Award
(Flyer PDF)


Call for Nominations   
Pura Belpré Librarian of the Year Award 
for Outstanding Library Service to Latinos.  
Offered bi-annually, the award honors a librarian for his/her service and dedication to providing
library services to Spanish-speaking and Latino communities. ​
​The award includes $100.00 and a plaque is given honoring outstanding librarian's work. 

Purpose of Award:
To recognize individuals who have provided outstanding library service to Latinos.

Criteria for Award:
Nomination  must be submitted from April 1, 2026 through May 24th, 2026. 
Please note, the supporting statement must be one-page in length;
written in narrative form; and comment on how the candidate:

 -  Distinguished her/himself in the library field and/or community     
 -  Promoted and advocated for services to Latinos and Spanish-speaking communities;                                      -  Worked to fill a community need at a local, state, national, and/or international level;    
 -  Contributed to the REFORMA NE chapter and/or REFORMA National. 

Award Guidelines                                                          
For more information on the award, including how to apply, please click on the links below:
2026 RNE Pura Belpré Librarian of the Year Award Announcement, Criteria and Guidelines
2026 RNE Pura Belpré Librarian of the Year Award Nomination Form   
                                   
Please submit Nomination form electronically to: 
[email protected]   Attention: Pura Belpre Librarian Award Committee Chair
Opening date: April 1st,  2026      Closing date: May 24th, 2026.  

Award Recipients
2026    Manuel Figueroa, Talent Development & Training Manager, Queens Public Library, NY
2024    Mary Marques, Library Coordinator at the Free Library of Philadelphia, PA 
2022    Louis Muñoz Jr., Reference and Adult Services Librarian, Morristown Library, Morris Township Library, NJ
2020    Georgina Rivas-Martinez, Youth Services Librarian, South Huntington Public Library, NY 
2018    Linda Caycedo, Retiree/Volunteer,  Bronx Library Center, P.R. Heritage Gallery, NYPL, NY
            Elizabeth Garcia, Retiree/Author, Community Library Manager, QPL   
2016    Libbhy Romero, Supervising Librarian, NYPL BookOps, NY                                                     

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