Facilitated by NYPL
Highlights from group discussions
What role can the library play in strengthening diverse cultures?
Maintain bi-lingual collections
Celebrate international holidays
Talk to leaders from individual communities about needs
Reach out to the faith communities
Recruit staff/volunteers who speak other languages
Make referrals to other agencies when appropriate
Provide a neutral space for community programming
Advocate for immigration rights and reform
How involved should the library be in promoting diverse cultures?
Programming should be driven by shifts in local demographics
Programming could be brought to you by members of the public
Provide neutral space; don't necessarily have to design programs
Collections- driven by makeup of community; they won't come in if there aren't things here for them. Also, be mindful to have infrastructure (cataloging capability) before purchasing materials, building collections and courting groups.
Present film screenings, bi-lingual storytimes by native speaking volunteers, ESL classes, cooking demonstrations, work with specific local agencies (for example, not just Asian; rather Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean)
When it is hard to find books in a particular language, try to collect periodicals.
Recruit librarians with foreign language skills
Balance space and collection with community need
Use census data (realizing that that data may be 10 years old)
Recruit Friends and Volunteers from local ethnic groups
Offer your webpage in other languages (see SPL)
Partner with refugee development center (Lansing MI library created outreach to refugee teens and now works with young adults who are from Sudan, Liberia, Afghanistan, Cuba and Somalia)
Create library videos using teens from various communities (Hennepin County created "How to use the library" videos in a variety of languages)
Host conversation clubs
Translate forms
Teen Groups should have liaisons from different ethnic groups
Work with local language schools
Create an oral history project
How does the library benefit?
Helps us achieve our mission of access to all and learning for all
Outreach to underserved communities and talking up library services
Publicity for library
Invitations to outside groups to share their culture = automatic programming
Could lead to increased budget
Library as community meeting place
Engage community in conversation
Better signage and graphics
Public awareness of smaller communities
Hire more diverse staff and increase cultural competencies
A more culturally sensitive staff
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