True, there are not thousands of volumes in the Americas Award Reference and Resource Library at Centro de la Familia de Utah.
But the "humble library" dedicated Friday afternoon represents a rich, culturally accurate collection of Latino-focused literature for children of all ages.A significant portion of the library is dedicated to books that have received The Americas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature.
The award recognizes American works of fiction, poetry, folklore or selected non-fiction published in English or Spanish that relate "engagingly and authentically" to Latin America, the Caribbean or to Latinos in the United States. The distinction has been awarded since 1993.
Graciela Italiano-Thomas, chief executive officer of Centro de la Familia, was a member of the national committee that established the awards in the early 1990s.
The process has slowly evolved. Of the 100 books were nominated for the honor in the program's inaugural year "we eliminated 60 off the bat."
"Every year since, we've had better books and more books."
For Italiano-Thomas, the dedication of the Salt Lake library was an emotional event.
"It's a milestone of a concept that a few years ago, I didn't even dare to dream could be realized," she said.
Many of the books in the new library belonged to Italiano-Thomas but she knew they would be put to a better use in a community reference and resource library. "I wondered what am I going to do to have this collection out last me?"
That was the genesis of the Americas Award Reference and Resource Library.
Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, was the keynote speaker at the dedication ceremony.
He brought three books to add to the collection, among them "Woodrow, the White House Mouse" and "House Mouse Senate Mouse" by Peter W. Barnes and Cheryl Shaw Barnes.
Hatch said the library represents the richness of Latino cultures and families.
He urged attendees to help him work on the issues of literacy and the high rate of high school dropouts among Latino high-schoolers.
"I'd like to see this library expand to so much it will be a haven for young people on their way up," Hatch said.
Italiano-Thomas said the Migrant Head Start Branch has provided the bulk of the funding for the new library and literacy programs -- $100,000 initially with another $360,000 "in the pipeline."
The Salt Lake City Library and REFORMA de Utah, an affiliate of the American Library Association, have helped catalog and prepare books and other media in the library for use by educators and others who are interested in Latino-focused children's literature.
Michael Melendez, president of Centro de la Familia's board of directors, said the library may be small but the course of history has been changed by a handful of books.
"Maybe our children will find something special in these books to offer us," he said.