Pura Belpré

Pura Belpré was an Afro-Puerto Rican folklorist and author who served as the first Latina librarian in the New York Public Library system (Chalkbeat). She was born in Puerto Rico while the island was under U.S. military rule after the close of the Spanish-American War. Since Puerto Rico had "enjoyed considerable autonomy in the latter years of Spanish colonial rule," the U.S. conquest heralded a reduction in political self-determination and "many Puerto Ricans bristled under the control exercised by the United States" (History).

While studying to become a teacher at the University of Puerto Rico, Belpré traveled to New York City for her sister's wedding. She decided to stay in New York, working as a seamstress until she was recruited to work at the New York Public Library in Harlem (NYPL). Her skills soon earned her a role as a Hispanic Assistant at the 135th Street branch (Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueños).

A black and white photograph of Belpré, center, standing with her hands open mid-story, storytelling for dozens of children standing and sitting around her during 115th Street’s storytelling group. Photo Source: NYPL

During this time, she served the neighborhood’s growing Puerto Rican community with storytelling and puppeteering. She performed the stories she learned from her grandmother in Puerto Rico (NYPL). Belpré quickly became an active advocate for the Spanish-speaking community by instituting bilingual story hours, buying Spanish language books, and implementing programs based on traditional holidays such as the celebration of Three Kings Day. Through Belpré's work, the 115th Street branch became an important cultural center for the Latino residents of New York, even hosting important Latin American figures such as the Mexican muralist Diego Rivera.

In 1925, she enrolled in NYPL's Library School. It was there that she attended a storytelling course taught by Mary Gould Davis, which would inspire her to write Pérez and Martina (Book Riot). Davis gave Belpré permission to tell her own tales at storytime — a huge deal, as librarians generally only read stories from published books (Book Riot). Belpré's Perez y Martina was the first Spanish-language children's book released by a mainstream U.S. publisher (NPR).

“Don’t forget the magnificent sweep of the imagination and dreams of youth; when a boy comes only to a man’s shoulders, his dreams are tall. Through all the hardships and heartbreaks, these dreams often become realities.”

Pura Belpré

When her husband died of cancer in 1960, Belpré returned to work part-time in the library as the Spanish Children's Specialist, helping other libraries foster connections with their Spanish-speaking communities. She retired in 1968, but was persuaded to work with the newly established South Bronx Library Project, a community outreach program to promote library use and to provide needed services to Latino neighborhoods throughout the Bronx (Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueños).

"Because of her we have a storytime in Spanish. We have computer classes in Spanish. And I feel like as a Latina librarian we have a responsibility to continue doing the work she started," says Vianela Rivas, a Washington Heights librarian (NPR).

A black and white photograph of Belpré, seated and surrounded by children eating lollipops and listening intently, telling stories to children at El Museo del Barrio, New York City. Photo Source: Center for Puerto Rican Studies, Hunter College

Each year, the American Library Association honors Latine children's and young adult authors and illustrators with the Pura Belpré Award. The 2025 winners included The Dream Catcher, illustrated by Marcelo Verdad, Lola written by Karla Arenas Valenti, and Shut Up, This Is Serious written by Carolina Ixta (ALA).

Belpré's legacy lives on in efforts to make children's publishing and public libraries culturally and linguistically inclusive spaces. As Senior New York Public Library Librarian Valerie Garcia said, "Her presence is there when people come in, when children meet after school, when parents schedule play dates at the library. I believe that that's Pura's spirit making the library a community place where people feel comfortable and they feel safe and they want to come back" (Chalkbeat).

Reflection Questions

Belpré recognized that children needto see their own cultures and languages reflected in reading. How can we apply her approach to support people in our communities?What stories from your childhood do you remember? How can you pass them forward to others?

Learn More

Here are more articles to consider:

How a Puerto Rican folklorist brought bilingual storytime to the New York Public Library (Chalkbeat).Pura Belpré: Library Storyteller (NYPL).How NYC’s first Puerto Rican librarian brought Spanish to the shelves (NPR).

Explore all the books that have received the Pura Belpré awards.