LIBR 275
Libraries & Culturally Diverse Communities
Summer 2004
June 5, 19, July 31

Elizabeth Martinez
Adjunct Faculty
emfuture@hotmail.com

GREENSHEET

I. Course Description

 This class is designed to develop the skills for planning, implementing and evaluating programs that address the information needs of diverse racial, ethnic, and linguistic communities, and to explore the complex, social, economic, historical, and technological developments that impact library and information services to diverse communities.

II. Course and School Objectives

At the completion of the course, the students will be able to:

1. Understand the challenges of providing information services in a multicultural and multiracial society; and understand the ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and racial factors and perspectives involved;
2. Identify resources for the development of library services for diverse communities;
3. Determine the cultural diversity and information needs of user communities; and develop strategies for providing appropriate services;
4. Chart the role of information institutions in promoting cultural diversity and preserving ethnic heritage;
5. Advocate and provide leadership for library services for diverse communities.

This course supports the following SLIS objectives:

• The foundation of information services.
• Advocacy and leadership for access to information and knowledge resources;
• Evaluating and utilizing relevant research studies from a variety of disciplines.

III. There are No Required Texts: See Required Readings

Recommended Texts:

1. Galens, Judy et al. (eds.) Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America. (2 nd ed.) New York: Gale Research Inc., 2000.
2. Guerena, Sal (ed.). Latino Librarianship: A Handbook for Professionals. (2 nd ed.) Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 2000.
3. Metoyer-Duran, Cheryl. Gatekeepers in Ethnolinguistic Communities. Norwood, NJ: Ablex Pub., 1993.

IV. Course Outline

The class incorporates a mix of lecture, discussion, guest speakers, films, and student presentations. The question to be considered throughout course: Are libraries effective and responsive in addressing the information needs of culturally diverse communities?

June 5: Focus on Diversity; The American Experience & Historical Perspectives.

REQUIRED READINGS:

1. Curry. Deborah A. “Your Worries Ain’t Like Mine: African American Librarians and the Pervasiveness of Racism, Prejudice and Discrimination in Academe,” In The Reference Librarian, 45/46: 299-311, 1994.
2. McIntosh, Peggy. “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack,” Peace and Freedom, 49: 10-12, July/August 1989.
3. Stoffle, Carla J. and Patricia A. Tarin. “No Place for Neutrality: The Case for Multiculturalism,” Library Journal: 46-49, July 1994.

Tarin, Patricia. “Rand Misses the Point: A ‘Minority” Report,” Library Journal, 113: 31-34, November 1, 1988.

1. Wright, Lawrence. “One Drop of Blood,” The New Yorker, 46-55; July 25, 1994.

RECOMMENDED READINGS:

1. Chu, Clara M. “Multiracial/Multiethnic People: Selected Resources (June 1999),” prepared for Racially and Ethnically Mixed People: Information Needs, Services, and the 2000 Census, American Library Association Conference, 27 th June 1999, New Orleans. www.gseis.ucla.edu/faculty/chu/mrace.htm
2. Josey, E.J. “Education for Library Services to Cultural Minorities,” Education Libraries, 15(3): 16-22, Winter 1991.
3. Kitano, Harry H.L. Race Relations. 5 th ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1997.
4. McCook, Kathleen de la Pena, and Kate Lippincott. “Library Schools and Diversity: Who Makes the Grade?,” Library Journal: 30-32, April 15, 1997.
5. O’Hearn, Claudine Chiawei (ed.) Half and Half: Writers on Growing Up Biracial and Bicultural. New York: Pantheon, 1998.
6. Simon Wiesenthal Center. The New Lexicon of Hate: The Changing Tactics, Language and Symbols of America’s Extremists, 3 rd ed., 1998.

Videos: Race: The power of an illusion. (PBS)

June 19:Diversity & Internet Resources.

REQUIRED READINGS:

1. Berman, Sanford. “Things are Seldom What They Seem: Finding Multicultural Materials in Library Catalogs,” In Alternative Library Literature, 1990/1991: A Biennial Anthology, ed. By Sanford Berman and James P. Danky. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 1992: 132-136.
2. Metoyer-Duran, Cheryl. “The Information and Referral Process in Culturally Diverse Communities,” RQ, 32(3): 168-173, 1994.
3. Holland, Maurita and Smith, Kari. “Broadening Access to Native American Collections via the Internet. Museums and the Web 1999, Archives & Museum Informatics; www.archimuse.com/mw99/papers/holland

RECOMMENDED READINGS:

1. Bigelow, Jane M. H. “Library and Information Services for Native Americans,” Multicultural Review, 3(4): 20-24, 1994.
2. Fish, James. “Responding to Cultural Diversity: A Library in Transition,” Wilson Library Bulletin, 66(6): 34-37; February 1992.
3. Hamilton, Virginia. “The Library’s Role in a Multicultural Society,” In Libraries, Coalitions & the Public Good, ed. By E.J. Josey. New York: Neal-Schuman Pub., 1987; pp.43-55.

4. Trujillo, Roberto G. and David C. Weber. “Academic Library responses to Cultural Diversity: A Position Paper for the 1990’s,” The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 17(3): 157-161, 1991.

Guest Speaker: TBA

July 31: Information Institutions & Multicultural Services

RECOMMENDED READINGS:

1. Chu, Clara M. “Literacy Practices of Linguistic Minorities: Socio-Linguistic Issues and Implications for Literacy Services, “ Library Quarterly, 69(3): 339-59, July 1999.
2. Gilton, Donna L. “A World of Difference: Preparing for Information Literacy Instruction for Diverse Groups,” Multilingual Review, 3(3): 54-62, 1994.
3. Guerena, Salvador. “Archives and Manuscripts: Historical Antecedents to Contemporary Chicano Collections,” In Alternative Library Literature, 1988/1989: A Biennial Anthology, ed. By Sanford Berman and James P. Danky. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 1990: 193-74.
4. Nance-Mitchell, Veronica E. “A Multicultural Library: Strategy for the Twenty-First Century,” College & Research Libraries, 405-413: September 1996.
5. Oliver, Lee, Robert Belvin and Sylva Manoogian. “Survey on Services to Multicultural Populations,” Public Libraries, 197-204; July/August 1994

1. Robotham, John and Gerald Shields. “Racism, Sexism and Other ‘Isms’,” In: Freedom of Access to Library Materials. New York: Neal-Schuman Pub., 1982: 88-105.

Advocacy Paper presentations: 10 minutes each for an overview of the paper.

V. Assignments

1. Group Assignment: Internet Resources on Cultural Communities (40 points)

• Student groups of three.
• Use the Internet to demonstrate the usefulness of the 5 sites; include one local site, and one official government site, and historical, cultural, artistic, or other sites about the culture. No power-point presentations.
• Provide copies of the homepage of the 5 websites, or a list of the URL’s for each student in the class
• No formal written commentary or analysis is required to be submitted.
• Due June 19 with a 15 minute presentation to class.

For this assignment, select a unique cultural diverse community and find five websites that represent their history, culture, art, politics, and other issues. Find websites that reflect the community from their own perspectives, their own voice.

The Internet is a rich resource of multicultural information resources that must be examined. While there are challenges to users, especially children, it is important to determine biased, prejudicial information from factual, objective information. A strategy that information professionals use to guide users in locating relevant and useful information is to create a webpage with organized links, such as “guide to the best.” Discuss how the websites are useful to librarians.

2. Advocacy Paper.

• Length: a minimum of 12 double-spaced pages including a bibliography.
• Confirm the topic of the paper with the instructor.
• Due July 31 with a 10 minute synopsis to the class.

Write an Advocacy Paper for library services for a specific diverse group in a community – local or state, and gather demographic data on it, learn about its socio-economic conditions, and important issues. Learn what information services are available in your community through the library to this group, and what information services are requested of the library.

Write an advocacy paper in support of information services to the group; include your findings, your observations about the process, any problems or barriers encountered, and recommendations for specific programs and services for the library to provide. Remember that you are advocating for library services for a particular community, and may have to convince library staff to support you.

Grading: Total of 100 points

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