Professional Bio

Barbara Alvarez is a former public librarian who has worked with professionals, organizations, and businesses for more than 13 years.

Barbara co-developed Milwaukee’s first library Memory Connection Center to prepare families and individuals for the journey of caring for someone with dementia. For this, the library was awarded the Programming Innovation Award by the Wisconsin Library Association.

Previously she was a Business Liaison Librarian where she designed and delivered continuing educational tools to job seekers, professionals, and business owners. She received the PrivCo Award for Outstanding Business Librarianship and the Morningstar Public Librarian Support Award. Additionally, she was an Athena Award nominee for innovation and creativity in the library’s community.

Barbara is the author of Embedded Business Librarianship for the Public Librarian and her latest book, The Library’s Guide to Sexual and Reproductive Health Information. Barbara teaches undergraduate and graduate students.

Barbara received a Master in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign. She has a PhD in Information Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Awards, Recognition, Grants

  • Deborah A. Hobbins Award. University of Wisconsin

  • Mover & Shaker for Library Journal

  • Teachers Ranked as Excellent University of Illinois

  • University Fellow University of Wisconsin-Madison

  • Programming Innovation Award Wisconsin Library Association

  • Outstanding Business Librarian PrivCo Prize Winner

  • Best Business Reference Morningstar Data

  • Athena Leadership Nominee Barrington Chamber of Commerce

  • Best Academic Programming University of Illinois

  • Center for Inquiry Scholar

  • Know News Symposium Participant Simmons University

 
 

  • Luce Fellow Nominee University of Illinois

  • Spectrum Scholar American Library Association

  • Sylvia Murphy Williams Award Illinois Library Association

  • SROP/McNair Student Fellow University of Iowa

  • Sponsorship Reaching Across Illinois Library System

  • Travel Grant International Federation of Library Associations & Institutions

  • Design 4 Learning Instructional Design Grant Syracuse University

  • Synergy Leadership Grant Illinois State Library

  • Innovation Librarians Explore, Apply, and Discover Immersion Grant Institute of Museum & Library Services