Library Services for Multicultural Patrons


Book Description

Increasingly, libraries are struggling to deal with a growing diversity in the cultural background of their patrons. Problems arising from this cultural diversity afflict all library types--school, public and academic. Library Services for Multicultural Patrons is by and for all libraries that are striving to provide multicultural services to match the growing diversity in the cultural background of patrons. The book is designed to offer helpful tips and practical advice to academic, public, and school librarians who want to better serve the multicultural groups in their communities. The contributors to the book are themselves practicing librarians and they share creative ideas for welcoming multicultural patrons into libraries and strategies for serving them more effectively. Librarians will find in these chapters tried and true tips and techniques for marketing and promotion, improving reference services for speakers of English as a second language, and enhancing programming that they can easily implement in their own libraries and communities. The chapters are divided into the following categories for ease of access: 1) Getting Organized and Finding Partners, 2) Reaching Students, 3) Community Connections, 4) Applying Technology, 6) Outreach Initiatives, 6) Programming and Events, and 7) Reference Services. Librarians of all types will be pleased to discover easy-to-implement suggestions for collaborative efforts, many rich and diverse programming ideas, strategies for improving reference services and library instruction to speakers of English as a second language, marketing and promotional tips designed to welcome multicultural patrons into the library, and much more.







Multiculturalism in Libraries


Book Description

The United States is increasingly faced with the challenge of absorbing new immigrant groups and creating a tolerance for a plurality of cultures. This work argues that, as plurality grows, libraries need to be truly representative of the pluralistic popul




Librarians Serving Diverse Populations


Book Description

A qualitative and quantitative assessment and research study of the paths and experiences of librarians whose duties include serving diverse cultures. Through surveys, interviews, and evaluation of documents, the author explores issues and challenges raised by the results of the research study. Mestre provides recommendations for improvements to curricula and training at Library Schools, for libraries seeking someone to fill positions such as diversity librarian positions, for follow-up training and support after librarians are hired and for how to strengthen diversity efforts. Also included are two chapters that provide guidance for getting started as a liaison for diversity and cross-cultural efforts in academic libraries. This book is the first such research study in academic librarianship.







Managing Multiculturalism and Diversity in the Library


Book Description

Discover ways to raise staff awareness regarding diversity! Managing Multiculturalism and Diversity In the Library: Principals and Issues for Administrators is an academic guide to diversity issues such as affirmative action, career development of minorities in the library science profession, racism, and scholarship solutions to increase the diversity of people in the library and information science profession. From this manual, you will gain a deeper understanding of diversity and its implementation in your library. Scholarly and poignant, this book is recommended to academics, administrators, library professionals, and students who want to improve the diversity of libraries and the profession of library information science. In Managing Multiculturalism and Diversity In the Library, you will explore the continued need to keep diversity growing in our libraries as a learning tool to boost the creativity and broaden the knowledge base of libraries as a whole. This informative guide provides you with studies on the diversification efforts of Australia, Canada, China, and the United Kingdom, showing you how each nation differently defines diversity, yet values diversity with an agenda that accepts and encourages cultural differences. You will find suggestions on how to bring in the talents of traditionally excluded groups into your library and examine affirmative action and its dismantling from different angles. Managing Multiculturalism and Diversity In the Library illustrates the importance of cultural diversity in contrast to a melting pot that does not allow for distinct flavors. Some pertinent areas of diversity that you will read about are: raising staff awareness of diversity through training seminars a diversity program focused closely on your library’s missions and strategic plans integrating diversity into every aspect of the library activities looking to colleges and universities as the leaders of cross-cultural understanding American Library Association and the diversity agenda Managing Multiculturalism and Diversity In the Library is an enlightening and helpful resource to foster multicultural understanding and to plan a diversity agenda that is right for your library organization. From this book, you will find many interesting and informative methods on creating a culturally pluralistic library.




Diversity and Inclusion in Libraries


Book Description

The news and scholarly literature are replete with stories and articles describing the challenges that diverse individuals face in their local communities and workplaces. Diversity and Inclusion in Libraries: A Call to Action and Strategies for Success is arranged in three parts: Why Diversity and Inclusion Matter, Equipping the Library Staff, and Voices from the Field. This book tackles these issues head on and should appeal to a broad audience interested in diversity as it relates to libraries and librarianship, including professional librarians and paraprofessional library staff. Offering best practices strategies tempered by experiences and wisdom, this book will help libraries realize a high level of inclusion.




Diversity Now


Book Description

A comprehensive perspective on multiculturalism in libraries! Diversity Now: People, Collections, and Services in Academic Libraries delivers a comprehensive look at diversity issues for librarians. It examines partnerships between academic research libraries and campus agencies and provides effective retention strategies for diverse employees. It also shows how librarians can lobby for domestic partner benefits for university employees who are unmarried same- and opposite-sex couples. Diversity Now: People, Collections, and Services in Academic Libraries provides a unique research perspective on assessment and diversity integration in the academic libraries and highlights effective working strategies for a multicultural library environment, examining: partnerships between academic research libraries and campus agencies which work directly with students assessment and diversity integration in the academic library workplace and six critical challenges for working well in a multicultural environment communication and teaching incorporating service learning experiences in the library and information science curriculum model retention programs for junior faculty of color




Information Services to Diverse Populations


Book Description

Filling a gap in the existing library and information science literature, this book consolidates recent research and best practices to address the need for diversity and social justice in the training and education of LIS professionals. The development of cultural competency skills and social awareness benefits LIS students, their future employers, and the library profession at large—not to mention library customers and society as a whole. This textbook and comprehensive resource introduces students to the contexts and situations that promote the development of empathy and build cultural competence, examines the research in the areas of diversity and social justice in librarianship, explains how social responsibility is a foundational value of librarianship, and identifies potential employment and networking opportunities related to diversity and social justice in librarianship. A valuable book for students in graduate library and information science programs as well as LIS practitioners and researchers interested in knowing more about the topic of diversity in the profession, Information Services to Diverse Populations: Developing Culturally Competent Library Professionals addresses the political, social, economic, and technological divides among library patrons, covers transformative library services, and discusses outreach and services to diverse populations as well as how to evaluate such services, among many other topics. Appendices containing suggestions for exercises and assignments as well as lists of related library organizations and readings in related literature provide readers with additional resources.




Diversity Now


Book Description

Looking at diversity issues for librarians, contributors in library science examine partnerships between academic research libraries and campus agencies, suggest retention strategies, show how librarians can lobby for domestic partner benefits at university libraries, and discuss challenges of working in a multicultural environment. Neely is head of reference at Kuhn Library, University of Maryland-Baltimore. This work has been co-published simultaneously as Journal of Library Administration, vol. 33, nos. 1/2 and 3/4 2001. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR