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Meet Jovanna Sardineta-Cotero: Bilingual Youth Librarian

Post Date:07/31/2024

gem (jem) n. someone or something that is very good, pleasing, or useful.

Jovanna Sardineta-Cotero is a gem.

Recognized nationally for her work on Bilingual Inclusive Storytime, Jovanna makes a difference in people’s lives each day. She describes her work as multifaceted, which is a great way to describe Jovanna — multifaceted, like a colorful gemstone.

Jovanna, tell us about yourself.

I was born in Toluca, State of Mexico, Mexico. At the age of 12, I came to the USA with my family to live in Portland, Oregon. Since then, I have grown to love the rain, though not so much the cold.

I love dancing to Latin rhythms and traveling, when I’m not working. On quieter days, I enjoy doing crafts, practicing my balloon-twisting skills, learning about Asian culture, and being with my family and friends.

Professionally, I have worked for the Hillsboro Public Library for 16 years, providing services to families and children. I firmly believe that children represent our future and infuse us with vitality and a new perspective on the world, helping to keep our hearts young.

What inspired you to choose to work for the City of Hillsboro as a Librarian?

Social work is my passion; it all started when I found joy in helping my peers with school assignments. Later, I became involved in programs and organizations that provided resources to the Hispanic community. My exposure to my community and my desire to help led me to study social work at Pacific University in Forest Grove.

Years later, I began working for the Oregon Child Development Coalition in collaboration with Centro Cultural of Washington County as their National Institute of Adult Education Coordinator (INEA, by its Spanish acronym). INEA is a program based in Mexico with international accreditation, designed to offer adults from Spanish-speaking countries opportunities to receive education ranging from literacy to high school. My role was to oversee all the educational programs.

I spent a lot of time at the Forest Grove Library, often sending students there when they needed to do research for their homework. I also started visiting other libraries and would bring back resources and information for students and teachers. I noticed that whenever I visited the Hillsboro Public Library, I would encounter Spanish-speaking individuals seeking resources.

One day, while at HPL, I overheard a patron struggling to communicate with the librarian. I offered to help as an interpreter and, once the interaction was complete, both the patron and the librarian thanked me. At that moment, I realized I wanted to work for the City of Hillsboro to help my community.

What do you do in your role as a Librarian?

I am a bilingual youth librarian who focuses on early literacy. I engage in a lot of creative work, including planning and conducting family programs and events, such as:

Watermelon Day
Five Senses
Baile de Verano
Festejo Latino
Mueve el Esqueleto Dance Party

I am also responsible for programs such as:

Primeros lectores (Beginning Readers in Spanish)
Bilingual Inclusive Storytime
¡En sus marcas, listos, Kínder! (Ready, Set, Kinder! in Spanish)

Additionally, I provide training to staff in early literacy areas.

Overall, I would describe my work as multifaceted.

Recently, you made a national presentation to teacher of students with visual impairments. Tell us about it.

Jovanna leading a children's program In June, Mayra A. Gonzalez (a local teacher of students with visual impairments and orientation and mobility) and I were invited by the California State University, Division of Special Education and Counseling, The University of Massachusetts Boston’s Vision Studies Program, and the Northeast Resource Center for Vision Education (NERCVE) to present at “Language, Literacy, and Assessment: A Symposium on Meeting the Needs of Multilingual Learners with Visual Impairments.”

We discussed Bilingual Inclusive Storytime and Partnerships with School and Public Libraries at the symposium. We conducted our presentation online, which allowed me to connect with interesting people from across the nation. The attendees were engaging, and I even had the opportunity to discuss our library resources, such as our Collaboratory space.

One attendee from Maryland was so interested in what we do that she mentioned she would contact Maryland libraries to see if they could implement something similar.

Hearing their amazement and interest reminds me that what we do is important and beneficial to our community.

How does your job directly affect Hillsboro community members?

As a bilingual youth librarian, I directly impact the Hillsboro community by addressing both educational and cultural needs. I create and run programs that not only support children and their families, but also provide valuable resources, empowering them with the knowledge they need to learn and grow.
I also work with community organizations and schools to promote early literacy and build strong partnerships. This makes the library a vital part of the community and a valuable resource for everyone.

What do you like most about your job?

What I enjoy most about my job is using my skills and knowledge to support and assist families. Seeing how my work positively impacts their lives and helps them thrive is incredibly rewarding.

What are the top questions patrons ask you?

Usually, mothers or other people approach me to ask if I have visited a school or childcare center to do storytime because when children see me, they say: "She is my teacher."

During my program, Primeros Lectores, many parents ask me, “My child has a hard time pronouncing the Spanish letter “rr.” Is there a way to help them?” The simple answer is yes. Even children whose first language is Spanish have difficulty with the letter “rr,”, but with practice and some exercises, they can overcome this challenge.

What do you like most about Hillsboro?

What I like most about Hillsboro is the community. While being a multicultural city, there’s also a strong sense of unity and a continuous effort toward inclusivity. A great example of this is the opening of Hidden Creek Park West (the home of Oro, the friendly forest giant) in 2023.

Meet More City of Hillsboro Public Library Employees