Reaching Out

I’ve been spending some time with Library Services for Multicultural Patrons: Strategies to Encourage Library Use over the past few days.  I plan on blogging about various readings from the text in separate posts organized around different topics.  First I'll start with the general outreach knowledge I have gleaned from the book so far.

Why should librarians make multicultural outreach one of their priorities?  Well, the answer to that question may seem clear to many of us, but here are some basic facts:  In 2011, for the first time, the majority of the nation's children under the age of one were minorities.  By 2050, it is estimated that non-Hispanic whites will become a minority of the U.S. population.  According to the editors of the text:

"Libraries are in a pivotal position to strengthen their communities by giving voice to the diverse members of their communities through programs, collections, and services and, most importantly, by creating environments of inclusiveness, respect, empowerment, and empathy."

Seems like a convincing answer to me!  Well, how what steps can you take toward becoming a multicultural librarian?  The first section of the book provides some key advice for both getting started and keeping up outreach efforts.  Here are some "landmark" moments that will guide librarians in their journey towards successfully serving the diverse populations of in their communities:

• Commit to developing personal "cultural competency."
• Increase your knowledge of changing demographics.  Attend a religious or social ceremony or a cultural fair.
• Know the population.
• Look at the data.  Walk the neighborhood.  Attend an organization or PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) meeting.
• Create an authentic collection.
• Based on the needs assessment you will have completed, draft a separate collection development policy for that user group, using your regular policy as a template.
• Intentionally staff for multicultural services.
• Increase the diversity of your employees.
• Involve members of the community in your collection development and display.
• Look at other libraries around the country that also serve those populations.
• Reach out to the target population.
• Create an outreach plan and vision statement for your efforts.  Outline goals, objectives, and outcomes.  Your outreach efforts will become clear once your goals are well-defined.
• Find out what media sources are popular with your target demographic.
• Reach out to community organizations and businesses like the chamber of commerce, day cares, senior centers, churches, and groups serving new immigrants or refugees.
• Go to cultural festivals and events.
• Go to local food markets and restaurants.
• Create a welcoming and inclusive library environment.
• In a truly multicultural library, "commitment to diversity does not stand out but is integrated into the flow and movement of library service."
• Add signage in other languages and/or graphics.  Go to food markets or stores that serve your target population and take note of their signage and customer service.
• Don't fall into the trap of just making displays for special cultural holidays like Cinco de Mayo.
• Move away from text heavy websites.  Look into developing another language portal for your library website.
• Make your catalog available in more than one language.
• Plan quality library programming with your target population in mind.
• Bilingual delivery.
• Take time to talk to program attendees about their experience.  Have evaluation forms available in multiple languages.

So now that you are on your way towards becoming a multicultural librarian, what are some ways to keep the community engaged?  Theresa Beaulieu, author of the essay entitled "No Surprise, Community Engagement Works" used the metaphor of a surprise party to get her point across: multicultural services and programs shouldn't be planned like a surprise party; you should plan with the input of the intended audience.  She also provided a few other important tips in her essay, including recommending researching how change takes place within the population you are trying to reach, and tracing that change back to important community leaders.  Beaulieu also recommends seeking out partner groups within the community that have shared values with your library, for example after school programs and adult education programs.  That last piece of advice made me think of a conversation I had with my practicum advisor a few days ago.  I am working at the Madison Public Library branch with the most diverse user population, and the branch is deeply embedded in the community, with many strong partnerships with the wealth of organizations within a few blocks providing resources for the challenged neighborhood.  Recently, the branch director was awarded a grant for a proposal he co-wrote with the director of the Literacy Council down the street.  The grant money will allow them to buy laptops for use in computer education classes that will be run in the library, but taught by volunteers from the Literacy Network.  A thoughtful community partnership in action!

To close, I wanted to include this topical standup video from Hari Kondabolu.  I recently heard a Fresh Air interview with him, in which he talked about his new comedy album, named 2042 (he uses a different date than the text) for the year that whites will become a minority.  I think what he says about the way we look at minority populations is particularly relevant to multicultural outreach work.  "Forty-nine percent only makes you a minority if you think the other 51 percent is exactly the same."