How do you feel to have been able to celebrate Lectorum’s 50th anniversary as a Latino company operating in the United States?
Quite frankly I feel very proud of what we have accomplished in the past 50 years, growing from a small Spanish bookstore on 14th Street to become the oldest and largest Spanish language book distributor in the United States. I have seen many good businesses and friends close their doors but we have persisted. It is due to our commitment, our love of books, and to our incredible staff that I give credit and thanks for our accomplishments, as well as to our loyal and devoted customers who have supported us throughout the years. For us is not only a business but it is also a mission and a commitment to our community to carry the best literature available in Spanish.
What changes have you seen in the market during the past 35 years you have been at the reins of Lectorum?
The changes have been many. Let’s not forget that when I first joined Lectorum, we were mainly a bookstore catering to the needs of the general consumer and to the university student population of the tristate area. Shortly after I joined Lectorum, Bilingual Education became the law of the nation and since there were only three companies working with Spanish books at that time (Las Américas, Eliseo Torres and Lectorum) all three of us worked very hard to find good quality materials to cater to the new student population enrolled in the bilingual programs. Today, many States don’t have bilingual education anymore after California passed Proposition 227. Since then, many schools have opted for Dual Language Programs. We continue to search for these schools and find appropriate materials to help them achieve their goals.
How do you see the Spanish language market in the United States today? Do you have any advice for the publishers that want to get into this market or achieve a larger penetration of the Spanish-language book market?
The Spanish language market in the US today is strong. However, I think we should all remember Einsten’s words: “It is crazy to continue to do the same thing and expect different results.” The market has changed, the needs have changed. There are fewer and fewer Bilingual Programs but more and more Dual Language Programs are in place now. Also, with the growth of the Latino population in the US, I predict that the market for Spanish as a second language will grow in the next 10 years. We must keep in mind that the needs and likes of the Latino children in the US are totally different from the needs and likes of the Spanish children from Spain and Latin America. We are a population that lives between two cultures and we want to see those two cultures reflected in our literature. This is why authors like Pam Muñoz Ryan, Pat Mora, Julia Alvarez, Carmen Agra Deedy and Gary Soto, appeal so much to our children and young adults.
What are the plans for the future of Lectorum under the new ownership of Lectorum?
Our plans are to keep focus on carrying the best literature in Spanish available for our customers, to continue to work closely with teachers, librarians and booksellers to form a network of people commited to help students, patrons and the general consumer. It is our goal and our mission to keep our language and our rich traditions alive. We all know that we need to learn English if we want to succeed in our new country. However, knowing two languages and living and appreciating two or more cultures will make us better citizens of the world. Under the new ownership of Lectorum we will do whatever is necessary to meet those goals and to enrich the lives of our people.
TERESA MLAWER
President | Lectorum Publications, Inc.
205 Chubb Avenue, Lyndhurst, NJ 07071 | Phone 201-559-2224 - Fax 201-559-2201
Visit us at lectorum.com & librerialectorum.com | Read our Lectorum Bulletin
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