Alea Perez is a Youth Services Manager in the Chicago suburbs and she has worked in libraries for 16 years (10 in management). Alea grew up in libraries while her mother served as a Youth Services librarian for 30 years, starting when she was in elementary school.

"Everyone thought I loved to read when I was young, but it wasn’t until I discovered sci-fi in 7th grade that I really fell in love with books and libraries. I have fond memories of spending time in the supply room of my childhood library, as I got roped into program preparation and other volunteer opportunities. While in college, I swore I wasn’t going to follow in my mom’s footsteps and avoided libraries as a profession for years after graduating.

Now that I’m here and have settled in, I like to do what I can to address the underrepresentation of BIPOC library workers at the degreed level. I Also occasionally get into good trouble for my belief that libraries aren’t and can’t be neutral, and that there is no magical barrier between us and the rest of the world."

Without Libraries was created to provide librarians a platform to share stories about education, discuss current programs, and consider life without libraries. Libraries provide access to information and educational resources, promoting literacy, critical thinking skills, and community building by offering a safe space for people to learn, research, and connect with others. Join the conversation at Past Forward.

Guest: Alea Perez
Produced by: Past Forward

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