Charlene Garcia Simms (born 1952) is a teacher-librarian from
Garcia, Colorado
Garcia is an unincorporated community located in Costilla County, Colorado, United States. The San Luis post office
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, pro ...
. She and her husband founded El Escritorio Publishing which focuses on Southwest history and genealogy.
Biography
Charlene Garcia Simms grew up in
Garcia, Colorado
Garcia is an unincorporated community located in Costilla County, Colorado, United States. The San Luis post office
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, pro ...
.
She is a relation of
Maria Josefa Jaramillo Carson, the third wife of
Kit Carson.
She was married to Eduard Simms.
Expanded description
She received an MBA from
Colorado State University Pueblo
Colorado State University Pueblo (CSU Pueblo) is a public university in Pueblo, Colorado. It is a member of the Colorado State University System (CSU System) and a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).
History 1933 to 1959
The idea for startin ...
, and earned her
Master's of Library Science
The Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS), also referred to as the Master of Library and Information Studies, is the master's degree that is required for most professional librarian positions in the United States. The MLIS is a relativ ...
from the
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory.
T ...
.
While at Arizona, she was a Knowledge River Scholar.
Garcia Simms and her husband are the co-owners of
El Escritorio Publishing.
The company has published 15 books with a focus on Southwest history and geneaology.
They published
Colorado State Fair
The Colorado State Fair is an event held annually in late August in Pueblo, Colorado. The state fair has been a tradition since October 9, 1872.
The fairgrounds also host a number of other events during the rest of the year. Organizationally, ...
Fiesta Day magazines for over 20 years, and her private collection has been used to research Pueblo's music history.
She also has a collection at CSU Pueblo on
Olibama Lopez Tushar.
In addition to publishing poetry and books, she has coordinated public art shows focusing on Hispanic artists with masterpieces but no place to showcase them.
She published ''Spanish/Mexican Legacy of Latinos in Pueblo County'' and an inspired mural called "Corazon de Pueblo."
Garcia Simms worked at the
Bruce Randolph School in Denver for 3 years, then in June 2008 returned to Pueblo to be the Hispanic resources librarian at Robert H. Rawlings Public Library.
She is currently the Genealogy and Special Collections Librarian at the Pueblo City-County Library System,
and was previously the President of the Genealogy Society of Hispanic America.
Garcia Simms has been part of the Fray Angelico Chavez chapter of the Genealogical Society of Hispanic America.
She was the Chairperson of the 2015 National Conference Team for the organization, and she edited their official newsletter.
In 2021, Garcia Simms received a research grant from the Aztlán Center at CSU Pueblo to explore the historical lives of Chicana women in New Mexico and Colorado.
Recognition
In 2019, Simms was inducted as a Corn Mother for her social justice work and community support.
Published works
Books
*Geneaology and the Librarian, Perspectives on Research, Instruction, Outreach, and Management
Simms, Charlene G, Maria S. Tucker, Jeffrey DeHerrera, and Pueblo C.-C. L. District. ''Pueblo''. Chicago: Arcadia Publishing Inc, 2017. Internet resource.Sandoval, David A, and Charlene G. Simms. ''Spanish / Mexican Legacy of Latinos in Pueblo County''. Pueblo City-County Library District, 2012. Internet resource.Simms, Charlene G. ''Orphan Stalk: Growing Up Adopted in a Manito Culture.'' 2021. Print.Márquez, Joseph A, and Charlene G. Simms. ''East and west of the Sangre de Cristos.'' Pueblo, CO: El Escritorio, 1991. Print.Márquez, Joseph A, and Charlene G. Simms. ''La Familia De Córdoba.'' Pueblo, CO: El Escritorio, 1991. Print.Simms, Charlene G, Maria S. Tucker, and Jeffrey DeHerrera. ''Images of America: Pueblo'', 2017. Print.
Poetry
Airando el FrijolMana Timotea
*Eres Chicana Tummy Tales - Chicos Deliciosos del Horno
References
External links
El Escritorio PublishingCharlene Garcia Simms Oral History Interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Garcia Simms, Charlene
1952 births
Colorado State University Pueblo alumni
University of Arizona alumni
Living people
American people of Mexican descent
Educators from Colorado
Librarians from Colorado