ALSC member Rose Zertuche-Treviño died on April 30. Fittingly, her death occurred on El día de los niños/El día de los libros, a celebration of reading for children of all cultures and linguistic backgrounds that Rose worked to establish and strongly supported. Most recently Rose serv
ed as chair of the Newbery Award committee and the crowning achievement of her career may well have been presenting that award to Neil Gaiman in Chicago.
Rose served as the youth services coordinator for the Houston Public Library until last October. Prior to that Rose was an independent consultant and the children’s services coordinator at San Antonio Public Library. She was very active in ALA, REFORMA, and the Texas Library Association and served on many committees. In addition to writing for ALA, which published her books Read Me a Rhyme in Spanish and English (2009), a collection of Latino rhymes, songs, finger plays, riddles, and other programming ideas for librarians who work with babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children, and The Pura Belpré Awards: Celebrating Latino Authors and Illustrators (2006), Rose wrote all or part of several program manuals for the Texas Reading Club. She is survived by her husband, Pete, and their children, Steven and Jaclyn.
The REFORMA Executive Board has approved the creation of the Rose Treviño Scholarship to honor Rose’s memory and to further the work that was so important to her. Donations towards the scholarship can be sent to Robin Imperial, REFORMA Treasurer, District of Columbia Public Library, Petworth Neighborhood Library, 4200 Kansas Avenue NW, Washington DC 20011 earmarked for the Rose Treviño Scholarship.
Rose’s family has also suggested that gift cards for Border’s be sent to them for use in buying books for the San Antonio Children’s Shelter in honor of Rose. Other appropriate memorials could be made in support of the ALA Spectrum Scholarships, or ALSC’s initiatives that support work Rose was involved with: the Pura Belpre Initiative or the El día de los niños/El día de los libros initiative. Another option would be to give to the Texas Library Association to support the Texas Bluebonnet Award or the Texas 2×2 Reading List, both projects with which Rose was involved.
A rosary will be said on Friday, May 7, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. at The Grotto, 5712 Blanco, San Antonio, TX. The memorial service is Saturday, May 8, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. at Los Patios, 2015 Northeast Loop 410, San Antonio, TX 78217. Flowers should be sent to Los Patios. Cards and notes can be send to Rose’s family at their home address, 10503 Burr Oak, San Antonio, TX 78230.
Please feel free to use the comments section of the blog to post your remembrances of Rose. A Rose Treviño Memorial Page has also been established at http://sites.google.com/site/rosetrevinomemorialpage/.