Austin, TEXAS—- As Hispanic Heritage Month draws to a close, the Austin Public Library continues to champion Hispanic and Latino voices through its diverse collections and community programs. Irene Magana-Noverola from the Southeast Community Branch Library—who happened to be celebrating her birthday—joined forces with Sierra Waggoner to share recommendations and highlight the importance of featuring Hispanic authors—not only during this special month but throughout the year.

Celebrating Hispanic authors is vital to understanding the rich cultural narratives and varied experiences that shape the community. Highlighting these stories helps broaden perspectives and creates a more inclusive literary landscape for readers of all backgrounds.

Irene said, “Stories have the power to shape identities. By celebrating these Latino authors, we are also celebrating and honoring the diversity, the creativity, and the resilience of the Latino communities. And we also are helping to shape and expand the understanding of other peoples of the importance of embracing Latino culture. So I think it’s very important to highlight their voices because these are authentic voices in our community.” Viewers were introduced to several notable Texas Hispanic authors whose works deserve a place on every reading list. These authors bring unique regional and cultural insights, capturing the spirit of Texas and the broader Hispanic experience in vibrant storytelling.

The Austin Public Library remains deeply committed to supporting Hispanic and Latino communities year-round. Through tailored programming, bilingual collections, and partnerships with local organizations, the library ensures accessibility and representation in its resources.

“Well, our mission is to inspire everyone to discover, learn, and create. We do this all year long through a variety of collections and programs. While I’m highlighting some collections for the Hispanic and Latino communities, we also offer programming like computer classes and GED classes in both Spanish and English.

We partner with organizations such as Todos Puntos, where we provide information about library services, including the Enhanced Library Card, which also serves as a secondary form of ID. We also have our obituary library that’s available 24/7. Our bilingual staff and welcoming facilities make the library an inclusive place where everyone can feel part of the community year-round.

We just wrapped up Hispanic Heritage Month, featuring Edu at two of our library locations. Coming up, we have Día de los Muertos and the Roots and Wings festival at the Southeast Library on November 1st, where we’ll be featuring author Adriana Hernandez. She’s a very strong voice and will be reading from her book *Dumbo*. Plus, we have other events during the holiday season and many celebrations planned throughout the year.”

During the segment, a selection of recommended books was shared, offering something for every reader—from fiction and poetry to history and memoir. These titles are readily available at library branches and online for easy access.

“And we’ve got some incredible voices right here in Texas who are Texas Hispanic authors we need to know about. There are two I’d like to highlight today—one for adults and the other for children. For adults, there’s Rudy Ruiz from Brownsville, Texas. He’s an award-winning author. We recently read his book Bayou Shadows in a book club, and it was a fascinating story based on the border between Mexico and the United States. It’s a mix of magical realism, mystery, and historical fiction—one of my favorite genres.

The other author is Miguel Briones, a self-published writer from El Paso, Texas, who created a brilliant book called Macho Machismo. It’s designed to educate kids on the importance of kindness and helping others. I really recommend both of these authors to our audience because they have very important messages to share.”

For more information on these books, events, and resources, visit the Austin Public Library’s website or stop by your local branch to discover the wealth of Hispanic and Latino literature available!