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.