CURRENT POSITION Science and Engineering Librarian, University of Denver DEGREE MLIS, University of Denver, 2007 FOLLOW du.digication.com/alejandro-marquez/about-me; linkedin.com/in/alejandro-marquez-9a361720a Photo by Kiersten Merkel

Wellness Works

After graduating from library school, Alejandro Marquez served in the Peace Corps in El Salvador, and the experience still affects his work today. It “really helped broaden my horizons to seeing different cultures and how different people work,” he says, “being empathetic and thinking about the different people out there who need library services and the best way to connect with them.” Marquez works at acknowledging library employee and patron mental health, and his Peace Corps experience helps there, too. “It doesn’t matter who you are or at what age you are. Everyone has times in their lives [when] they’re having mental health concerns or issues.”

Marquez has written and spoken about mental health extensively. “Growing up queer Hispanic, I felt very alone in my early years. And so going into the work, in a mostly white-dominated profession, I really wanted to create a space for everyone to be their...most successful selves.” In August 2024, he proposed a mental health and wellness discussion group to Colorado State Library. The resulting group participated in facilitation training and an article club: Members received one article and a list of questions ahead of each of six meetings, then met to discuss them. Later, each participant was asked to complete a related activity, such as blogging about the work. Marquez also arranged for mental health panels presented on webinars. “We [wanted] people to share their personal experiences and hopefully change that conversation in the library,” he says.