Since 2008, the San Diego County Library (SDCL) has been building upon a diversity plan intended to make the library and its 33 branches a welcoming home for multicultural interaction and organization. While diversity is a motivating factor in staffing decisions as well as in information technology access and training, a large part of the library’s diversity plan is centered around multicultural programming in each of the branches – spread across a truly diverse set of suburban cities that encircle the city, from Vista out to Borrego and down to the South Bay.
“As I see it,” says José Aponte, SDCL Director, “libraries are at a crossroads. I see libraries with two very important virtues that we can leverage. We are a place that is trusted, safe – a sanctuary if you will – where people can come for the free and open exchange of ideas. The second opporutnity for us is the increasing digitization of the world and the opportunity to flatten that access for everyone.”
Aponte, who is approaching his 10-year anniversary with SDCL, grew up during the Civil Rights era in New York state. From an early age, he was introduced to cultures outside of his Latino heritage, through his mother, a librarian, and her involvement in the local UN Club. Once a month, a parade of diverse people with professional jobs in law or academia would join together to discuss ideas and personal histories. During that time, Aponte’s mother also developed a close relationship with a Jewish colleague who had a son about Aponte’s age. Together, the two young boys began to attend programs at the Albany Jewish Community Center and Aponte’s affinity for the Jewish religion and culture was solidified.
“I can honestly tell you that I have gone to more Bar and Bat Mitzvahs than I have quinceañeras in my life,” he says.
In high school, Aponte, along with a Jewish student, an Armenian, and an African American integrated their small, previously “whites only” private school. Aponte was involved again in an integration movement in his first year at Bard College in Hudson, N.Y.
Those connections grew in the 60s when Aponte pursued social activism movements and looked to follow the examples of Matthew Shermer and the Freedom Writers, Cesar Chavez and Dr. Martin Luther King.
After a brief career in Off Broadway theater, Aponte followed in his mother’s footsteps and attended library school in Arizona. His cultural connection to Judaism followed him to San Diego when he became the director of the San Diego County Library and immediately got to work introducing programs like the Davka and Anne Frank Holocaust exhibits, Klezmer concerts, and programs associated with the San Diego Jewish Book Fair.
“The first opportunity for libraries in a changing world is to go back to the basics,” he says. “Bring people together. Serve as a bridge, a convener, a place where communities come together to celebrate their uniqueness.”
In May, 2013, Aponte developed the San Diego Legends art and photography exhibit. This annual program recognizes the influencers among us who may easily go unnoticed. The exhibit honors those who have embraced “inclusion, spiritual integrity, humanism and healthy living,” through their life’s work. Each year, five or six individuals are honored as the exhibit travels to a new County Library each month.
Last year, the library hosted more than 28,000 programs. Aponte quickly does the math – that’s about 75 programs per day. With such a broad geographical area and the physical meeting space to provide for the kind of community interactions that Aponte imagines, the opportunities for diversity at the San Diego County Library can only continue to grow. Visit sdcl.org to browse upcoming events in your area.
