Featured and New Additions

The Influencers collection brings the reading interests of four community members into the Public Library to share with the entire Albuquerque community. The Library extended an invitation to four local  influencers to provide their  book recommendations. Titles can be ones that changed their lives, ones that they feel  everyone needs to read, titles that they go back to and  read over and over again, or recent titles that changed their perspective on the world around us. The collection will begin at the Main Library but then will travel around the City and Bernalillo County to other  Public Library branches.

Rita Ann's Recommendations

 

Adrian N. Carver is a life-long nonprofit leader and community organizer. A ninth generation New Mexican, Adrian has dedicated his life to improving the world around him – especially for marginalized communities and young people. Adrian has received numerous awards for his work, including Albuquerque Business First’s Top 40 Under Forty Award, Albuquerque Pride’s LGBTQIA+ Leader of the Year, Molina Healthcare’s Community Champion Award.

Melonie Mathews is Co-Producer of the Gathering of Nations Pow Wow and Director of the Miss Indian World Pageant held as part of that celebration.  Melonie is also an author of a vegetarian cookbook, a 2011 Grammy Award winner, and a champion Native American women’s Fancy and Traditional dancer.

Rita Ann Turfley Powdrell is a 1968 graduate of UNM.  Owner/Manager of Mr. Powdrells Barbeque and Director of the African American Museum and Cultural Center of NM.  Married to Joe Powdrell CEO of Mr. Powdrells Barbeque House and a community advocate.  We have (4) children, (9) grandchildren and (1) great-grandson. “I have a passion for history that comes from the understanding that the color, the excitement and the narrative of history has many voices.  The timbre and soul of these voices, these narratives must be read, explored, and heard to appreciate our joint humanity. Through the power of words we are able to see and touch each other’s worlds.   The Public Library System has stood for and housed our written words free for all to read, explore and discuss. Libraries can open the mind to critical thought and the absolute joy of the gifts our differing experiences and cultures bring to us. It is my honor to select readings from the African American experience told in our own voice.”

Katie Stone is Executive Director and Producer of The Children's Hour radio show and podcast. She believes that kids need to have a voice in broadcast media. Katie and her husband live in a handmade house on a solar powered organic farm near the Rio Grande tending their orchard, gardens, chickens, children, a llama, cats, dogs, fish and thousands of bees.    


 

Melonie's Recommendations
Adrian's Recommendations

Katie's Recommendations

Who are the movers and shakers, the influencers, the leaders that you know in your community? Let us know how they have inspired you, made a difference, and moved Albuquerque forward. Send names and a brief description to library@cabq.gov with the subject line “influencer.”
Thanks to Calgary Public Library and former CEO Bill Ptacek for sharing the idea of the Influencers Collection with us.