Library staff member Perri P., manager of Frank De La Cruz-El Pueblo Library, recently received a Drachman Impact Award from the University of Arizona’s College of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape Architecture. We checked in with her about the award, how she earned it, and what it means to her.
Can you tell us a bit about the award you received?
I received a Drachman Impact Award from the University of Arizona’s College of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape Architecture. I was nominated by Kenny Wong, a professor in the department who brought his class to the El Pueblo Library to collaborate on their semester projects. This was the inaugural year for this celebration of community partners throughout Tucson.
Why is this award important to you?
I was so touched to be included alongside so many other important figures in Tucson! Looking around at the ceremony, I was so proud of the diversity of interests represented – all people coming together to work with students and help them engage with their community.
How did you get involved with the project?
This project has grown over the past several years through the work of two UA professors, Dr. Jacqueline Jean Barrios and Kenny Wong, who have worked with the Sunnyside Foundation and other community members to focus their students’ projects on the Southside neighborhoods and, in particular, the El Pueblo Center and library. I was just lucky enough to inherit it this year! All of the librarians who have worked at the El Pueblo Library over the past few years should be proud to have fostered this relationship and created lasting ties with these community partners.
What was your role in the project?
At the beginning of the semester, Dr. Barrios and Professor Wong reached out to arrange a time for their undergraduate students to visit the library and start to think about their projects. Over the next few months, the students dove into the history of the El Pueblo Center and crafted unique interpretations of the community spaces. I played a role by advising them throughout the different stages of the projects and giving feedback on how they could incorporate the library into their final products – but the students did all the work! At the end of the semester, their final projects were displayed inside of the library for two weeks, and our branch staff guided our library visitors through engaging with the various projects. Some involved taking photographs, adding notes, or playing a board game. Everyone had a great time with it!
How do you think the project will make a difference in the future of the center?
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the El Pueblo Center, and it is just as important to the Southside community as it ever was. Every day people visit the Center seeking healthcare, recreation, senior services, educational opportunities, and of course, the library. These student projects highlighted how fundamental it is that we keep supporting and maintaining our community spaces not only for their storied pasts, but for their significance to current and future generations as well.
