Nelson Santana
Associate Professor / Deputy Chief and Collection Development Librarian
Bronx Community College
The Bronx, New York
More than half of the student body at Bronx Community College (BCC) identifies as Hispanic, and more than one third as Black. Associate professor/deputy chief and collection development librarian Nelson Santana works to empower these students through exploring rich activist histories and growing the library’s collection to reflect the diverse population.
Santana focuses his scholarship on three areas: the activism of Latin American migrants, the role of libraries and archives in communities of color, and the ways in which libraries impact the lives of students. He uses this research trifecta to raise awareness of and empower historically disenfranchised groups while engaging students outside of the classroom.
In 2022, with funding from ALA’s American Rescue Plan: Humanities Grants for Libraries program, Santana launched the exhibition “Transnational Dominican Activism: Documenting Grassroots Social Movements,” which showcased activism by the Dominican population in New York, Santo Domingo, and Santiago between 2009 and 2020. And in 2023, he collaborated with another professor to secure an ALA Building Library Capacity Grant to support the BCC Reads initiative, a campuswide common book program that aimed to bring attention to challenged books such as Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye.
“Professor Nelson Santana represents the very best of what a modern librarian can be—innovative, inclusive, scholarly, and deeply committed to student success,” his nominators wrote. “His work has not only enhanced our library's resources and services but has also elevated the academic experience for our entire college community.”
Santana was selected from nearly 1,300 nominations from library users nationwide for the 2025 award. As part of his award, he will receive a $5,000 cash prize as well as complimentary registration and a travel stipend to attend ALA's LibLearnX event in Phoenix.
The I Love My Librarian Award is sponsored by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, with additional support from the New York Public Library, and is administered by the American Library Association. Since 2008, library users have shared more than 24,000 nominations detailing how librarians have gone above and beyond to promote literacy, expand access to technology, and support diversity and inclusion in their communities.