El Centro selects new Library Director
EL CENTRO — The City of El Centro has selected Isabella Marqués de Castilla as the new Director of the El Centro Library.
Effective December 1, Marqués de Castilla will lead the newly opened El Centro Library and support its mission of providing quality materials and programs to meet the El Centro community’s educational, informational, cultural, and recreational needs, according to a press release.
Marqués de Castilla has extensive library experience working in various roles for the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., and the Georgia Institute of Technology Library. During her long tenure at the Library of Congress, Marqués de Castilla served as Deputy Director for the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, which functions as a public library within the Library of Congress and partners with network libraries nationwide. Beyond her strong library operation qualifications, Marqués de Castilla is incredibly passionate about libraries and their critical role in serving community members, per the release.
Born in Honduras and raised in Spain, Marqués de Castilla is fluent in English, Spanish, and German as well as proficient in Italian. The interview committee identified fluency in multiple languages as a critical component to success for the El Centro Library Director role, according to the release. Before working in libraries, Marqués de Castilla developed strong leadership skills through her work in business administration. Isabella earned her Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the Catholic University of America and her Bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Maryland University College.
“We are thrilled to have Isabella leading the El Centro Library into its next chapter,” said Mayor Tomás Oliva. “She brings the experience, expertise, and commitment required to support the El Centro community’s diverse and rapidly changing needs. The new Library is a tremendous asset for the community, and we must have a strong leader to ensure its success.”
The new El Centro Library is located at 1198 N. Imperial Avenue. Regular hours of operation are Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information about the El Centro Library, visit cityofelcentro.org/ library.