When Al Martin traveled to Mexico, he returned home to Gainesville with an award-winning idea.
The 69-year-old librarian pioneered a program to help local immigrants learn English and assimilate into Gainesville’s community. He has hosted programs at the Alachua County Tower Road Branch Library for about two years.
Martin was among the eight people chosen by the library district for this year’s Carol Combs Hole Award for his work with diversity programs.
“I just came back from Mexico with my teeth fixed and an idea under my hat,” said the librarian of 18 years. “The program won the award. I didn’t.”
Phillis Filer, chairwoman of the selection committee, said Martin’s program was award-worthy because his idea went beyond his day-to-day job.
“It was how he went about bringing that program together to address a need in the community,” she said.
Filer said Martin was chosen because of his passion to help the community.
“He really, really relishes seeing people go from barely speaking English to speaking it fluently,” she said. “It’s important to recognize the fact that we have a staff member who constantly looks at ways to enhance the community.”
Martin said he went to Mexico two years ago for dental surgery. During his visit, Martin volunteered at the library to talk and work with people who lived there.
“It was an interesting cultural experience,” he said.
After returning home, he created the program to teach immigrants English and to help them with interviewing techniques, writing resumes and more.
Martin said his program has aided people from software engineers to doctors to academic scholars.
“These people are visiting scholars,” he said. “They are trying to transition into this culture and into this language.”
The blue-eyed and white-haired librarian said he cannot take all of the credit for the award.
“There are a hell of a lot of people who contributed,” he said. “I feel like I’m just the mouthpiece for this thing.”
Sidney Jones, a co-worker of Martin for 18 years, said Martin’s interest in learning foreign languages has allowed the program to excel.
“He’s put in a tremendous amount of work for several years, and it has been an extremely successful program,” Jones said. “He’s gotten a lot of very grateful participants who inspired him to expand the program.”
Jones said Martin likes to read and absorb strange things that happen in the world.
“He is very intelligent and has a wonderful memory that I wish I had,” he said. “He likes to keep us stocked with ice cream, too.”
For Martin, he said his joy comes from meeting interesting people.
“It gives you an opportunity to meet a lot of really cool people and people from other cultures,” Martin said.
Al Martin, 69, is a librarian at Alachua County Tower Road Branch Library. Martin was one of the eight people chosen to receive a Carol Combs Hole Award for his work with non-native English speakers.
