Principles of Convivencia

Preamble 

For over six decades, SALALM has served as a vibrant site of connection and community where people, cultures, practices, and knowledge converge. The organization brings together librarians, archivists, book dealers, students, and other information professionals from diverse linguistic, geographic, and cultural backgrounds, spanning all career stages. This extraordinary diversity strengthens and enhances the organization’s capacity to create, preserve, disseminate, and advocate for collections, instruction, and services that make accessible the intellectual and cultural heritage of the Americas and the Iberian peninsula. SALALM makes this possible by fostering spaces that facilitate meaningful collaboration, and a culture of continuous learning and knowledge exchange for its members, within a framework of mutual respect, or convivencia. 

Principles of Convivencia for SALALM

As individual members, we each contribute to and shape the collective culture of convivencia that defines SALALM as the organization that we all value by striving to embody the following principles:
 

• We engage in dialogue with one another in a spirit of respect, care, and curiosity, leaning into discomfort to build understanding and professional relationships across differences.
• We value the multiple viewpoints within our organization, recognizing that tensions are normal within the organization and seek to navigate them constructively to support inclusive dialog and mutual learning.
• We dedicate ourselves to creating inclusive spaces for all cultures and backgrounds, by seeking to enhance our own self-awareness. We prioritize openness around continued learning, are accountable to mistakes, and extend grace as we continue to learn and grow. 
• We encourage the free expression of intellectual and cultural perspectives within a framework of mutual respect and consideration.
• We are dedicated to recognizing and fostering the potential of new and existing members, and actively supporting their careers at any stage of their profession.  
• We actively welcome, promote, and celebrate the conocimientos/saberes of our colleagues, research, and students.
• We are committed to creating safe and welcoming experiences at our physical and digital gatherings, as well as through LALA-L and official social media outlets. 
• We firmly reject harassment in any form, and commit to bystander intervention and/or reporting to the Secretariat when we become aware of harassing behavior taking place.
• We are grateful for the opportunity to foster spaces of joy, respect, growth, and appreciation for one another as we connect, engage, and network with SALALM members, guests, and other professional organizations, groups and communities.

Reporting Incidents of Harassment

If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, if someone makes you or anyone else feel unsafe or unwelcome, or if you have any other concerns, please contact the Secretariat as soon as possible at salalm@nyu.edu, or speak directly to Jill Baron or Angela Carreño, Co-Executive Directors.

Last revised: September 2025