Monica Garcia

Librarian. Writer. Speaker.

DEI Committee

I was a founding member of my library district's Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee. During four years of service, I helped draft our district's equity statement, develop an equity toolkit, and design staff equity trainings that continue to inform our institutional practice.

Through this work, I built lasting relationships with community organizations including the Clark County Food Bank, Council for the Homeless, Southwest Washington Equity Coalition, LULAC, NAACP, Hispanic Metro Chamber, and The Foundation. As a branch librarian, these partnerships led to collaborative programming and expanded community engagement.

Although I no longer work in outreach or programming, this experience continues to shape my approach to collection development. It deepened my understanding of how institutional policy, community trust, and access to materials intersect in meaningful ways.

Employee Recognition Committee

After more than a decade in public libraries, I am convinced that what makes libraries exceptional is the people who work in them. Library staff are thoughtful, intellectually curious, creative, and often underrecognized.

I joined the Employee Recognition Committee to help cultivate a culture of appreciation. Through this work, I have supported initiatives that celebrate staff contributions and reinforce the collaborative spirit that sustains strong public service.

Union Leadership

I view my role as an elected union officer as an extension of my commitment to institutional integrity and staff well-being. In labor-management committee meetings, I advocate for improved working conditions and transparent communication.

I currently serve on our salary compensation bargaining team, where I use research and data analysis to support fair and equitable compensation for library employees. This work requires careful preparation, policy analysis, and a deep understanding of how compensation structures affect recruitment, retention, and morale.

REFORMA National Book Award Committee

I am honored to serve as a judge for the 2026 REFORMA National Book Award for fiction by a Latino/a/e author. This role allows me to engage deeply with contemporary Latino literature and contribute to national recognition of outstanding work that expands representation in the literary landscape.