Saturday, our last full day in San Miguel

Saturday was our day to experience some of the local attractions. We started the day be going to the local hot springs. I wasn't really sure what to expect, and was so pleased (and relieved) to find that they were amazingly clean and much like a swimming pool (but warm). Although there were some other "gringos" it was also great to see that the locals were also there. Afterward we were given a fantastic tour of the restoration work on the local church.

That evening we were all going to meet for dinner. When we arrived in the jardine there was festival just getting started. The young children were all dressed in their performing uniforms, mariachi bands were playing, the stage was set up, and people were dancing. To me this was the heart and soul of the local community and the memory of everyone celebrating and having a good time will stay with me for a long time.

At the restaurant we had fun laughing and spending one last evening altogether before we had to leave. I cannot believe the week is already over. This has been an experience that will stay with me forever.

Friday in San Miguel

Friday we wrapped up our cataloging. We were told we had fixed or created over 600 records. It was wonderful to feel like we had actually helped. It really felt like it had been a great experience for both sides. We learned a great deal about Mexican culture and got real-life cataloging experience. They not only had a bunch of records cleaned up, but Dalene was able to teach them and help them. Service learning needs to beneficial to both the host organization and the students. This week was a huge success!

Wednesday and Thursday

These two days are a blur in my notes and mixed all together, so I decided to create a single post about some of the events that stood out for me.

First, the we solved the internet access and were finally able to work. I love cataloging!! It is very detailed and there are a clear set of rules to follow. When I get to the bibles it's a little more challenging. It was felt like solving a giant puzzle and there was such a sense of accomplishment when you finished each record. Everyone seemed to work well together, answering each other's questions and making recommendations when needed. Cataloging the German books was a unique challenge since most of them were not in OCLC, but it was a good opportunity to learn something besides copy cataloging.

On one of the days Sarah, Emme, and I went for a walk to find the "supermarket." After giving up we ended up in this little restaurant for lunch. Since it was a little more off the tourist path we had no idea what were ordering, and it somehow felt much more authentic than any other other restaurants. We laughed at their version of ketchup and had a wonderful time.

Wednesday night, most of us went to watch the presidential debate at a local restaurant. I did a similar thing in Thailand years ago. For some reason, watching debates in another country with a group of Americans that travel and have international experiences is always rewarding and feels very patriotic! It, of course, helped that I agreed with most of the people in the room.

Thursday, Julie and I took a taxi to the supermarket. It was very big and felt very American. In many ways it was sad to walk the aisles since you could see how much of our culture has infiltrated theirs. After buying pizza and drinks we headed back to the house. It was wonderful to have the entire group over, including some of the library employees.

Unfortunately, I had homework for another class. In retrospect it would have been better to finish everything for the other classes. When we had down time I wanted to be out exploring or talking to classmates, not reading or doing homework.

Monday in San Miguel

After meeting at the library at 10:00 we were given a quick tour and met a lot of the library staff and volunteers that we would be working with. We were then given the rest of the day to explore the town.

My favorite discovery of the day was the local open air market. Brightly colored flowers were displayed next to butcher shops. When I passed a booth that sold beans and dog food, where they were spilling over and mixing I had to take a picture. Although I wasn't willing to eat here, the smells and sights were delightful. Everyone was very friendly. An elderly woman spent a long time telling me how her family made the blankets she was selling, but the same blankets were for sale at every other booth. I'm sure they thought I was funny as I took pictures of cactus, shoe racks, and bags of food.

I know the hope was that we would start working today, but it was nice to have a day to explore and get to know the local atmosphere.

We finally start working!

Tuesday morning we arrived at the library ready to start working. After dividing into two groups of four, our group went to train with Kathleen. She had created a wonderful "cheat sheet" that told us exactly what fields and subfields the library needed. The training went well, but we had to be patient as each of us took a turn creating the new record. Soon we were ready to get started on our own.

Within minutes we found that a desire to get started doesn't always mean much. I spent most of the afternoon moving from one corner to another trying to get any internet access. When I finally did get access, there was nowhere to plug in the laptop! Even once we were sort of settled, the internet access was so sporadic that it often meant starting over two or three times to finish one record.

Argh! Today was a lesson, not just on being in another country and working with the tools you have, but having a great deal of patience. I'm sure this will happen in real libraries, but at least I would have other ideas of projects to work on. Here, it wasn't my own library so it was very frustrating since I really wanted to be helping them and didn't know what I could do.

Arriving in San Miguel de Allende

Julie and I left Portland bright and early - it was so nice to have a familiar face to start this journey! After meeting the rest of the group in Houston (and being relieved that everyone seemed so friendly) we were finally on our way to San Miguel. After arriving at the Leon airport I was quickly introduced to the friendliness of the Mexican people. They not only found me and gave me a message about Julie's bags, but brought the bags over and helped me carry them through customs. I cannot imagine an airport employee in the U.S. being that helpful.

It wasn't long before we discovered some of the more frustrating aspects of being in Mexico. When our shuttle failed to arrive we were stuck negotiating for a ride. Unfortunately since they knew we had no other options, we were fairly certain we paid more than we should have. However, without Maura's wonderful Spanish it probably would have been even more!

After arriving in San Miguel we checked into our house and got a quick tour. Then, with amazing ease, quickly negotiated where everyone would sleep. I don't think I've ever seen six women get along so well, right away! After meeting everyone for dinner we walked to the center of town, where fireworks were going off. It was a beautiful night and a perfect beginning to our week in San Miguel.

A disclaimer

The following posts are based on my recollections of the week in San Miguel de Allende. Although all the events are real and my reflections are true, I may have mixed up the days and sequence. Despite the slower pace of "Mexico time" the week was a rush of activity and by most of my notes I failed to record the day!

Finishing up "Serving Latino Communities" by Alire and Ayala

I just finished reading Serving Latino Communities: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians. I was very impressed with this book. It was straight forward and easy to read. The specific suggestions, such as which distributors to contact would be simple for any library to implement. They covered options from a low budget beginning to a comprehensive service to Latinos program.

Although much of the book seemed to consist of pretty common sense suggestions there were some ideas that stood out to me as being very important. Many of these were covered in my earlier posts. In addition, on page 154 they strongly encourage libraries to include buying for Latinos as a part of their collection development policy. This is important for two reasons. First, it guarantees that serving Latinos is a priority. Secondly, it provides documentation that can be used later when these purchases may be questioned. I also think that it is a valuable point that librarians cannot assume that Latino patrons want information in Spanish (p. 159). In many communities the Latino population is quite fluent in English and may prefer to obtain their information in English.

Most of the chapter on creating a bilingual/bicultural workplace would be relatively easy to implement. However, recruiting Latino board members is a wonderful suggestion that I had not considered.

Finally, chapter 9 on "Obtaining Funding" is a critical component of any library service. Their suggestions for grant writing are particularly appropriate and helpful since these can be an excellent funding source when providing service to an underserved population.

I found this book to be incredibly insightful. It is interesting (and discouraging) that when I went to look for it at my local library I had to have it interlibrary loaned. It came in from the University of Wyoming. Hopefully that does not indicate that Oregon libraries have opted not to purchase it. Maybe it is so popular that it was checked out everywhere. I believe that this is a book that all libraries should have as their own reference tool.

Authority Control

I just finished reading "Got Authorities? Why Authority Control is Good for Your Library" by Kathleen Wells. She makes a good case on the importance of creating complete records and supports her arguments with specific examples. In cataloging last summer we discussed the value of the MARC records, and also the difficulty in finding public support or funding. Cataloging is one of those activities that people don't even realize exists until they don't have it or it doesn't work well.

Kathleen Wells presents information on a variety of fields that can help the search process. It will be interesting to see if any of the fields she mentions can be used to help create access to a bilingual collection. Since this was my first exposure to many of the MARC fields she mentions, I'm hoping that I will gain a better understanding of the applications while volunteering at the Biblioteca Publica.

Spanish Spoken Here by Todd Douglas Quesada

I remember reading this article when it was first published in American Libraries. In particular, I found myself agreeing completely with the authors viewpoint and being really offended by the opposing article on maintaining English only collections. From the many letters to the editor since then, I know I was not the only one to have that response. However, I think it is important for librarians to be aware that there are members of their community that will believe that the library should only contain English language books.

This article provides several arguments that could be used when confronted with the English only viewpoint. For example, Latino citizens "work, pay taxes, and are library users entitled to the same rights as any other American citizen" (p. 42). The current political focus on illegal immigration neglects the rights of the Spanish speaking American citizens and legal residents (p. 43). I also agree with the viewpoint that a public library is intended to serve all the public and that it is the librarian's responsibility to ensure that every community member has access to the resources they need.

Thoughts on the assigned reading by Elaine Yontz

I decided to take a break from reading the How-To-Do-It Manual and read some of the other assignments. In "Subject Access to Fiction: A Case Study Based on the Works of Pat Mora" author Elaine Yontz discusses the importance of improving catalog and MARC records to improve access. In this case study incomplete MARC records resulted in poor search results and many items would not have been retrieved in a normal search.

The finding that library records fail to provide access to a major demographic is troubling, but not surprising. Although there are many reasons for the lack of access points, two main causes stand out. The first is the English and western-Caucasian history of libraries and the library catalog. It is only a fairly recent development for librarians to consider other (non-western, non-white) viewpoints.

The other main culprit for poor MARC records (and the one addressed in this article) is the lack of local control with the development of copy cataloging. Consistency is vital to providing access, and this consistency can often only be accomplished on a local level. The article makes the suggestion that the local cataloger needs to determine which access points will be used, which MARC fields will be created, and what terminology will be utilized. Then using these local standards they need to ensure that ALL records are created and updated to reflect these standards.

An easy read, this article makes a convincing argument for local cataloging. "...Having a consistent access point... will insure that... patrons can locate these items quickly" (p. 134). After all, isn't this one of the primary goals of library science: to provide access to all patrons in the quickest way possible.

This article is a great support of the importance of improving not just programming, but access for Latino patrons. Looking at the list of items the Biblioteca Publica wants help with, it looks like they are hoping to really improve their local catalog to better meet the needs of their patrons. This class and service learning experience will be a great opportunity to put what we are learning into practice.

More on Serving Latino Communites... by Alire and Ayala

I'm really enjoying reading Serving Latino Communities... by Alire and Ayala. I really appreciate how practical and easy the suggestions would be to put into practice. In addition, the authors provide a decent balance of suggestions. Many of the programming ideas would cost almost nothing to implement since they are simple adaptations of current programs. However, they also give a lot of advice on creating new and unique programs that would appeal specifically to a Latino audience.

Furthermore, the list of possible partnerships (starting on page 111) are many of the same ideas that we discussed in Dr. Agada's Special Populations class (through Emporia State University). These partnerships are so important, not just for financial reasons, but also to improve attendance. When you are trying to attract new patrons, working with other organizations and gaining their support will be a huge asset.

The quote that (so far) has struck me as really valid is: "Be sincere about the library's commitment to reach out to the Latino community; if you are not sincere, that community will see right through you" (p. 108). This is true of service to any patrons. Librarians must be dedicated to reaching out to their community, since building relationships is critical to the viability of the profession.

More thoughts on Serving Latino Communities: A How-To-Do-It Manual

The further I get into this book the more impressed I am. It's very straightforward and presents very practical advise.

On page 81 (and throughout the book) they emphasize the importance of getting the information out in bilingual formats. Last year my son's class did a bilingual play about a girl that gets tired of translating for her parents and decides to no longer speak any Spanish. My experience at their school and coaching a largely Latino girls soccer team supports this frustration. I think it is crucial that we try not to put children in the role of translator. Using bilingual signage, providing translated information, and when possible staffing events with bilingual presenters can make all patrons feel welcome. At the end of the play the girl decides that speaking Spanish is actually a good thing because it is part of who she is. In many ways; providing Spanish signs and bilingual programming not only supports the patrons, but also lets them know they are welcome.

I also agree with the emphasis on page 90 about the library being free. There are so many things that cost money and many families have no idea that the library doesn't cost anything. Although it is only briefly discussed in the book, it is also essential to stress that anyone can use the library. For some Latino patrons it may be important that there is no legal documentation required.

Common Sense

I started my course readings with Serving Latino Communities: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians (2nd edition) by Camila Alire and Jacqueline Ayala. Most of the first chapter was a reiteration of information that I already knew. I did appreciate the recommendation that if you have a question about Latino identity that you should simply ask. I was reminded of my recent conversation with two Linus Pauling Middle School (Corvallis, OR) Latino students. After they told me they lived closer to another school, but chose to attend Linus Pauling I asked "why." One of the student's simple response was "they respect us here." When building relationships so much can be accomplished by simply showing respect.

I was a little discouraged by the chapter on "Building a Case for Serving Latinos." A large part of the chapter seemed to promote the demeaning suggestion that libraries need to serve Latinos, so that they can be employed. Earlier in the book it mentions that a large number of Latino children are born in the United States (p. 14). These children and their parents are a part of our community and deserve high quality resources. One important thing to remember, though, is that a quality resource is not the same for everyone. I don't read science fiction, but that doesn't mean the library shouldn't have it. I also don't read in Spanish, but should the library carry books in Spanish (and not just self-help books)? Absolutely!! It may be naive, but I'd rather argue for services to Latinos by supporting equality.

Going to Mexico

As a graduate student in the School of Library and Information Science at Emporia State University I have the great opportunity to do a service learning project. I am one of eight students going to work in the Biblioteca Publica in San Miguel De Allende, Mexico. Although we don't know the specifics yet; we will be working with the library helping with (and learning about!) their collection development, cataloging and database maintenance.

The week before we leave I'm attending a conference, Connecting Communities: Reaching out to Latino Youth and Families, in Corvallis, OR. The timing seems ideal and the conference should be a valuable compliment to the class.

This course was particularly appealing to me since my children attend a Spanish dual-language immersion school. Many of their classmates are Latino and I have watched their struggle for services and community support. My hope is that this class and the conference will help teach me how the library profession can improve services to this unique community.

This blog will provide me the chance to reflect about the course readings, course activities, the trip to Mexico, and the role of librarians in providing services to Latino patrons.