Second Presidential Message - SALALM 65

• By: Sarah Buck-Kachaluba
• On: 02/10/2020 10:35:34
• In: Presidential Messages

Dear SALALM members,

Salud! I am thrilled to raise a glass to all of you in anticipation of SALALM LXV.  Roberto Delgadillo and I were so pleased to share the invitation package for this year's conference with all of you earlier this week.  Please know that all of these documents reflect not only our hard work, but also that of many others whose collaboration is essential to this operation, especially Hortensia Calvo, Carol Avila, Betsaida Reyes, and Michael Scott. 

I am also very excited to be able to unveil the preliminary program (which will be sent out and posted very soon!)  I hope that the drafted schedule will be close to the final conference organization, but I'm sure it will need some tweaks and I welcome input from all of you (as is noted on the program).

In particular, I am happy to share two highlights of the conference: our Keynote Speaker, Amelia Ceja, and an interactive session featuring several members of the Mexican American Vintners Association (MAVA), followed by a tasting in which they will teach us about their wines.  These two sessions connect to one another, as Amelia and her husband (both the children of Mexican immigrants who met working in the vineyards and went on to create their own winery) were founding members of MAVA.  Amelia's brother-in-law is one of the Ceja Vineyards winemakers (with an enology degree from UC Davis) and her children all have indispensable roles in the family business.  In addition to her expertise in wine, Amelia is an accomplished cook and hosts blogs on preparing Mexican cuisine paired with wine.  Recently, she has given two sentimental and valuable items to the Smithsonian to join a collection and display on Mexican and Tex-Mex food in the United States.  Thus, she has an appreciation for libraries (and a love of them as I have learned through our discussions).

I have been happily receiving individual and panel proposals for the conference as well, and have begun to review them – with the goal of responding to all who have submitted presentation proposals by Monday, March 2.

I also find it rewarding to be able to announce that the “SALALM Action Guide for Immigrant Advocacy” is complete and is being reviewed by the wonderful and persistent members of the task force that crafted it:  Holly Ackerman, Jill Baron, Adán Griego, Ryan Lynch, Bronwen Maxson, Betsaida Reyes, Nelson Santana, Rachel Stein, and Alyson Williams.  It is full of useful information and I'm looking forward to sharing it with you ASAP.  

Looking forward to June!

My best to all,

Sarah A. Buck Kachaluba, M.L.I.S., Ph.D. (History)
Librarian for: Latin American Studies, Iberian Languages and Literatures, and Anthropology
President, Seminar on the Acquisition of Latin American Library Materials (SALALM)