Mara Cota

Mara Cota (She/Ella)

Campus Librarian

Mara Cota (She/Ella)
Academic Rank: Sr. Assistant Librarian

Contact:
760-768-5626
[email protected]

Research consultations: book an appointment
 

Office

SDSU Imperial Valley Library
720 Heber Ave
Calexico, CA 92231

University Library LL 220
San Diego State University
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182-8050

About

Hello! I'm the campus librarian at San Diego State University Imperial Valley (SDSU-IV). I joined the SDSU-IV faculty in August of 2021 after having spent 14 years in public libraries in California. I teach research and information literacy for the campus, oversee public services in collaboration with a team of 2.5 Library Services Specialists, have responsibility for the library's physical print collection, and engage in both scholarship and service. In addition to the Master of Library and Information Science degree (MLIS, SJSU 2012), I hold an MA in History with an emphasis in Latin America (SDSU 2003).

Located in Calexico, California, SDSU-IV has served the Imperial Valley since 1959. Originally created as an Off-Campus Center to certify and train local teachers, the campus developed into a four-year liberal arts university and now offers 12 Bachelor's degrees, 3 Master's degrees, and 4 Teacher Credential Programs.

Scholarship

  • Wong-Welch, Jenny, Cota, Mara, Nielsen, Jordan. (2025, April 2-5). Democratizing Power: Exploring the Radical Potential of Mid-Career Librarians [Conference presentation]. Association of College and Research Libraries 2025 Conference, Minneapolis, MN, United States. https://web.cvent.com/event/98632c12-9bee-4ab5-bb05-5fcf69f453a4/websitePage:0255683f-f371-48f4-9b60-516c3852ec3b
  • Mara Cota (2024). Collaborative & Relational: Librarian LeadershipThe Journal of Academic Librarianship 50(2). 10.1016/j.acalib.2024.102848.
  • Jenny Wong-Welch, Mara Cota, Erika Esquivel & Suzanne Maguire (2023, June 2). Empowering ourselves through community to grow together and teach better. Presented at California Conference on Library Instruction, San Francisco, CA.
  • Cota, Mara (2023, March 17) Establishing an archival collection at a satellite campus: serving our communities and advancing equity through archival collections, a round table discussion for solo or satellite campus librarians and/or small libraries. Presented at Association of College & Research Libraries Annual Conference, Pittsburgh, PA.
  • Jenny Wong-Welch, Mara Cota, Erika Esquivel (2022, July 26-29). Becoming an Insta-Influencer: How Librarians Inspired Connection by Sharing Their Own Voices in Times of Uncertainty. Poster (juried) presented at International Federation of Library Associations World Library Information Congress 2022, July 26-29, Dublin, Ireland.

Research Guides