Senate Resolution No. 1310

BY: Senator BRESLIN

HONORING Richard Reyes-Gavilan upon the occasion
of his designation as recipient of the Excellence in
Public Service Award by the University at Albany
Alumni Association

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that those who
enhance the quality of life in their community and have shown a long and
sustained commitment to the maintenance of high standards in their
profession, certainly have earned the recognition and applause of all
the citizens of this great Empire State; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
Richard Reyes-Gavilan upon the occasion of his designation as recipient
of the Excellence in Public Service Award by the University at Albany
Alumni Association to be celebrated with a Gala on May 4, 2019, at
Wolfert's Roost, Albany, New York; and

WHEREAS, This auspicious award recognizes alumni for outstanding
contributions to local, state or national communities generally, but not
exclusively, through opportunities in appointed or elected office or
public service nonprofit organizations; and

WHEREAS, Growing up in Queens, New York, Richard Reyes-Gavilan spent
Saturday mornings at the borough's main library branch; while in his
20s, he sold rare books at a sidewalk stand on St. Mark's Place in the
East Village; and

WHEREAS, Today, Richard Reyes-Gavilan's lifelong love of literature
and passion for making it accessible to all fuels his work as the
Executive Director of D.C. Public Library; and

WHEREAS, Richard Reyes-Gavilan earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in
English from the University at Albany (UAlbany) in 1991, and a master's
degree in library and information science from the University of Texas
at Austin in 1995; and

WHEREAS, Upon the completion of his studies, Richard Reyes-Gavilan
returned to New York City, where he served as a Librarian for New York
Public Library (NYPL); during this time, he quickly recognized the
collection of Spanish books was lacking in a city with a prominent
Spanish-speaking population; and

WHEREAS, While working at branches in the South Bronx, Richard
Reyes-Gavilan developed and cultivated its Spanish language collection
to better reflect the population's needs and interests; he was then
named head of NYPL's Humanities collection in 2004; and

WHEREAS, In 2008, Richard Reyes-Gavilan was recruited by Brooklyn
Public Library to serve as Central Library Director, and later, Chief
Librarian; in this capacity, he led the Open Libraries Initiative which
resulted in significantly expanded service hours across the borough; the

project was recognized as a "Top Operational Innovation" by the Urban
Libraries Council in 2012; and

WHEREAS, Furthermore, he secured $3.25 million in funding and
oversaw the construction of the Shelby White and Leon Levy Information
Commons, a space where Brooklyn residents can access technology, media
and learning opportunities; and

WHEREAS, Richard Reyes-Gavilan was named Executive Director of DC
Public Library (DCPL) in 2014; his "Know Your Neighborhood" initiative,
the library's first strategic plan in more than 12 years, stresses a
commitment to customizing collections and services for the unique needs
of each community; and

WHEREAS, Richard Reyes-Gavilan is currently overseeing the largest
public construction project in the city, the renovation and expansion of
the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library, DC's central library; and

WHEREAS, In addition to DCPL's main branch, Richard Reyes-Gavilan
has overseen rejuvenation among 20-some other branches across the
district, including the complete rebuilding of the Cleveland Park
Library, the busiest branch in the system; and

WHEREAS, Richard Reyes-Gavilan also created a small library with
robust services in the DC Central Detention Facility, the Books from
Birth program which provides free books to participants from birth
through age five, and the GoDigital campaign which brings digital
resources and web-based learning to underprivileged communities; and

WHEREAS, Richard Reyes-Gavilan has worked tirelessly to modernize
the DC Public Library system and bring it to the forefront of American
libraries; under his able leadership, the libraries have become
much-used community spaces with programs which truly cater to residents
of all ages; and

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body that when
individuals of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our
attention, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens
of this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Richard Reyes-Gavilan upon the occasion of his designation as
recipient of the Excellence in Public Service Award by the University at
Albany Alumni Association; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Richard Reyes-Gavilan.