Arnulfo Trejo - Biography

Biography

Trejo was born in Villa Vicente Guerrero, Durango, Mexico. He moved to the United States at the age of three, gaining American citizenship in 1944 during his service with the U.S. Army. He earned a B.A. in Education, University of Arizona, 1949; M.A. in Spanish Language and Literature, University of the Americas, 1951; M.A. in Library Science, Kent State University, 1953; Litt.D. (with honors), National University of Mexico, 1959.

When he started his position as a Professor of Library Science at the University of Arizona in 1965, Trejo was one of only five Hispanic librarians in the nation.

In 1971 he founded REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-speaking, which is today a prominent organization for Latino librarians as well as for librarians serving Latino communities. Trejo was inspired to start REFORMA after a screening of the film I Am Joaquin, based on the epic poem of the same title, by Corky Gonzalez and exploring the struggles and exploitation of Mexican Americans. He served as president of the organization from 1971 to 1974. In recognition of his importance to the organization, REFORMA's Librarian of the Year Award is now named after Dr. Trejo.

In 1975 he founded the Graduate Library Institute for Spanish-speaking Americans (GLISA), an American Library Association-accredited Masters degree program for training librarians. During the institute's four-year existence Trejo was directly involved in recruiting Latino students into the program and contributed to their education. GLISA's graduates include many Latina and Latino librarians who are present-day leaders in the field.

In 1980 Trejo cofounded Hispanic Books Distributors, a Spanish language book seller aimed at increasing the availability of Spanish-language materials to libraries in the United States.