When Luz Marina Alvaré talks about the CGVlibrary, her enthusiasm is evident. Her voice takes on an excited tone as she eagerly relates the library’s progress to date. Three years spent at the helm of a demanding project have obviously done little to diminish her passion for her work.   

Indeed, it was this same passion that allowed this gutsy woman to continue her work developing the CGIAR’s System-wide library in the face of personal tragedy last year.

“I owe my passion to my father,” says Luz Marina. “Although he was an immigrant in my native Colombia, he overcame the odds to set up a successful business. He was always enthusiastic about his work, something that he has obviously passed on to me.”

Today, Luz Marina and her team are riding a wave of success. Although the CGVlibrary was only officially launched at the end of June 2006, the congratulatory messages are already pouring in.

“My colleagues and I are receiving email from all over the world,” she explains. “I’ve received messages from people in other CGIAR Centers and also from external organizations in disparate locations like Cote d’Ivoire, Costa Rica, Tanzania and the United States. It’s all very exciting.”

Luz Marina acknowledges the support she has received from other CGIAR information managers. In 2003, when the role of librarian was still very much underrated, it was her peers who persuaded her to take on the responsibility of leading the Virtual Library Service Project.

“I don’t think anyone ever thought that a librarian had the knowledge or capacity for leadership,” she says. “But I was supported not only by my Director General, Joachim von Braun, and peers, but by people like Nancy Walczak, IFPRI’s IT Manager. Nancy understands the position of an information manager and was able to envision how an integrated library could support researchers.”

As of August 2006, the CGIAR Secretariat and fourteen Centers have integrated their data bases into the CGVlibrary. The remaining Center is scheduled to come on board soon. Through the CGVlibrary, users can now get instant access to research on agriculture, hunger, poverty, and the environment. With a single search interface it is possible to discover resources, go directly to the full text of thousands of publications, and stay current on CGIAR research.

Luz Marina points out that the research needs of CGIAR scientists prompted the project: “The virtual library was inspired by the expressed need of CGIAR researchers and collaborators for a one-stop information shop. Now, information that was scattered around the world, across CGIAR libraries and other leading agricultural information providers, has been brought together.”  

Since its launch, Luz Marina has been promoting the CGVlibrary with flyers and presentations, and also with webinars that have been used with great effect targeting potential users in Latin America. As a result, she feels strongly that all CGIAR information managers should hone their communication skills so they can go out and reach their own communities.

Prior to coming to IFPRI, where she has been employed for the last six years, Luz Marina was CIAT’s information manager, a position she held for 10 years. Looking at her track record, one would be forgiven for thinking that this dynamic woman has always been involved in information services. However, this has not always been the case – she began her professional life as a biologist.

“When my husband and I were both working as researchers, I can remember how difficult it was to get access to timely information,” she recollects. “Way back then, you could wait from three to five months to get a paper from a library. It was really frustrating because researchers need information immediately.”

As a biologist, Luz Marina learned how to link information with research, and when she joined CIAT she was exposed first-hand to the world of information management. Later, when she moved to IFPRI, Division Director Klaus von Grebmer gave her the necessary space to develop her work based on her experience both as a researcher and her work at CIAT. Luz Marina’s bottom-up approach to information services is also reflected in the CGVlibrary, which is already being hailed as an invaluable tool by many researchers.

Away from all her data bases, Luz Marina likes to unwind over works of fiction – Latin American writers beckon frequently – and investigations into human psychology. Good conversation and the kitchen are always a draw. “At the end of a demanding day, cooking for my three children is great for relieving stress and bringing the family together,” she says.

If she puts as much passion into her culinary endeavors as she does her work, there must be no end of people queuing up to sit at her table.