Sheridan Jay Cazarez
Los Angeles Public Library
Los Angeles, CA USA
"The first person who needed to advocate for me and for my community was me."
Career Roadmap
Sheridan Jay's work combines: Education, Non-Profit Organizations, and Communicating / Sharing Stories
See more careers and stories that connect to your interests.
Take Roadmap Quiz
Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Spanish
California State University, Long Beach
Graduate Degree
Library and Information Science
University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
As a kid, I went to the library to learn how to write my name in hieroglyphics and discovered a lifelong love of learning.
2.
I spent every Saturday at the library, building relationships with librarians who made me feel welcome and accepted.
3.
I started working as a teen volunteer at the library during my summers—I was a horrible volunteer and got fired multiple times, but I kept showing up because it felt like home.
4.
At 15, I landed my first entry-level library job as a page, putting books back on the shelves, and have been working in libraries ever since.
5.
I earned a degree in Spanish and began creating culturally relevant bilingual storytimes that reflected my community’s language and experiences.
6.
I followed up my undergraduate degree with a master’s degree in library and information science, then secured a position as a youth services librarian for the City of Long Beach.
7.
After a year in youth services, I moved on to work as an adult librarian for the Los Angeles Public Library.
8.
I also serve as the Los Angeles Chapter President for REFORMA: the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Peers:
Nobody's going to come to your bilingual storytime.
How I responded:
When I first launched bilingual storytime, I faced some opposition. When trying to collaborate with the librarians at one of the branches, she told me point blank that no one was going to attend. I knew she was wrong and decided to move forward with it. Sure enough, tons of people showed up and the library was buzzing! Bilingual storytime ended up being the most well-attended program throughout the library branches.