Libros Libres: Freedom to Read Latino Books

Censorship and book challenges in Florida with an emphasis on books by and about Latinx. How this affects Florida's communities, where more than 1 out of 4 inhabitants has Latino-American or Hispanic origins. The themes, experiences, and perspectives that make Latino literature invaluable to readers seeking representation and understanding.

Speakers:

Freda Mosquera
Broward County Library
[email protected]

Professional librarian, published author, translator, storyteller and public speaker. Mosquera earned a master's degree in library and information science from the University of South Florida and a bachelor's degree in law and social sciences, from Universidad Libre (BogotÃ¡, Colombia.) Mosquera has worked for nineteen years for Broward County Library, and she is currently the Community Library Manager at the Lauderdale Lakes Library. Mosquera has been a speaker and presenter at several national library conferences, including, the Joint Conference of Librarians of Color and the REFORMA National Conference.

Alicia K. Long
University of South Florida
[email protected]

Bicultural librarian, educator, and scholar. She is an adjunct instructor at the University of South Florida, School of Information and a doctorate student at the University of Missouri, School of Information Science and Learning Technologies. Alicia's work has focused on diversity and access, library programs, and collection development, specifically in children's and young adult's literature. Alicia's research interests focus on higher education, diversity in the library field, and library services to Latinx communities.

Track:

Literacy