CURRENT POSITION Emerging Technologies Senior Librarian, Los Angeles Public Library DEGREE MLIS, San José State University, 2009 FAST FACT In recognition of Rodarte’s contributions to the success of LAPL’s annual L.A. Libros Festival, he was chosen to represent the library at the Los Angeles 2024 Roses and Lemon Awards ceremony. Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Public Library

Beyond Tech

“Edwin Rodarte is a modern-day library renaissance man,” writes his nominator. In his role as senior emerging technologies librarian, he coauthored a multi-million-dollar grant application netting the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) 7,000 laptop and hotspot bundles to lend to patrons as part of the library’s Tech2go initiative. He coordinates and supports programs including the 73-branch system’s Tech TryOut Carts, Tech Kiosks, and new Library of Things Program—offering patrons access to equipment ranging from GoPro cameras to car diagnostic toolkits—as well as LAPL’s Cybernaut program, where digital navigators offer one-on-one help to patrons with technology needs. He’s also planning to develop an artificial intelligence summit for LAPL with speakers and workshops to help the public become better informed about the technology’s potential uses and current challenges. 

But Rodarte’s contributions to LAPL extend well beyond his job description. He’s currently serving as Technology chair for REFORMA National, chair for California Library Association’s (CLA) Latino Services Interest Group, and advisor for CLA’s Summer at Your Library program, while also being part of the Spanish Language Translation committee and co-chair of the LGBTQIA services committee at LAPL. 

Working on LAPL’s LGBTQIA committee for the past decade has helped “ensure that there’s representation and visibility,” Rodarte says. “We want to make sure that there’s items in the collection, and that we challenge things and that we’re vocal. I’ve been proud of the work that we’ve been doing there, starting from ensuring that the library had training on gender identity before anybody else in the city.”