Chinese American Librarians Association
Promoting Library Advocacy, Diversity, Family Literacy, and Global Outreach
CALA- 38 Years of Commitment to Promoting Library Services
Our Diversity, Our Strength: Showcase CALA International Outreach Activities
Min Chou, 2011/2012 CALA President, New Jersey City University Library
Esther Lee, 2011/2012 CALA Vice President
Introduction
Sally C. Tseng, CALA Honorary Executive Director
Workplace Diversity
Established in 1973, CALA is a professional organization with over 38 years
of demonstrated commitment and contributions to diversity. It aims to enhance communication among Chinese
American librarians, to collaborate
with librarians of all cultural backgrounds on the discussion and promotion of library services to all in the
United States, and to take a leadership
role in global reach with special emphasis on Asian and Pacific Rim countries. CALA members meet at national
conference programs in conjunction
with the ALA and also at local chapter
level every year.
an ethnic librarians organization CALA’s commitment to promote diversity is embodied in its mission, goals, and strategic plan;
CALA members work across the United States and in other countries have contributed to
the success of building a diverse workforce;
CALA members have helped to achieve cultural competency in workplace and promote library programs and services to all users.
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7%
ZY MA
12% 14%
SE
6%
CA_S
11%
SW, 105
SE, 89
CA_S,
149
MW
18%
CA_N
13%
ZY, 166 MA, 196
Promoting Literacy and Accessibility
CA_N,
190
NE
19%
Four participating libraries (two in OH, one each in IN and CA)
Bring together generations of family members through reading, exercise, cultural, and online activities
to enhance family literacy
Help improve literacy and life skills for immigrant families from China
NE, 277
CALA membership’s geographic distribution by Chapter (2010-2011).
Visitacion
Vally Branch
Library, San
Francisco
Public Library, Visitacion Vally,
California
Leadership Diversity Within
CALA and Beyond
opportunities for members to
develop leadership skills through serving
at various levels of leadership positions at
regional chapters and the national headquarter
2011 CALA Annual Conference Program at ALA
Sunday, June 26, 2011, 1:30 - 3:30p.m. MCC-Room 284
Keynote speaker: Dr. Betty J. Turock, Past ALA President, Professor and Dean Emerita, School of Communication, Information and Library Studies, Rutgers University.
Panel Speakers:
 Michael Dowling, Director of International Relations Office, ALA
 Miguel Figueroa, Director of Office for Diversity and OLOS, ALA
 Dr. Clara Chu, Chair and Professor, Dept. of Library and Information Studies, University of North Carolina
at Greensboro
 Michael Porter, Web Junction, LJ Mover and Shaker 2009, and elected member of ALA Executive Board
young leaders and sponsors new leaders for the ALA Emerging
Leaders program
Many
CALA members are in leadership
positions in public, academic, and special
libraries, as well as government agencies
at municipal, state, and federal levels
Cleveland
Public Library,
Cleveland,
Ohio
Miami University Libraries/Talawanda School District, Oxford, Ohio
Middlebury Community Public
Library, Middlebury, Indiana
Joint Mini Conference (NE chapters of
REFORMA, CALA, APALA, BCALA, AILA)
CALA offers
CALA mentors
to all people. As an ethnic librarians
organization, international outreach
Mail-A-Book Services for the Homebound
Some of CALA’s members work at the Queens Library’s unique Mail-A-Book Service for the homebound, mostly for
senior citizens living at home or in nursing homes.
Books, periodicals, music CDs, spoken CDs, DVDs, cassettes, and playaways are mailed to those registrants who are
legally blind or unable to walk to libraries. Library materials are also delivered and picked up to/from nursing homes
in Queens.
In expanding the service recently to teleconferencing, whereby with a given phone number and a special machine, the
homebound people can interact with the library staff and one another, or participate in chats, bingos, book-discussions,
concerts, dramas, and lectures. Facebook and Skype access are also recently initiated.
The Queens Library will receive a $1,000.00 award and a citation for its innovative programming on June 26th at ALA
Annual 2011.
Elaine Kaplan and her home health aide, library worker Norma
Jean Myrie, Shelly Adler, Mail A Book Coordinator Madlyn
Schneider, Jia Li (Martha) Chen, Elana Jones, Selma Buchholz,
Grace Aronson, Edna York and Mary Jane Hirsch at the Mail A
Book table.
by CALA and many
academic and cultural institutions,
to date, CALA has sent 12 teams
of over 45 librarians, and delivered
more than 100 lectures in 8 cities.
The lecture series are highly recognized by librarians in China
has become an important component
of CALA's strategic advantage. Its
diversity and international outreach
ALA past
and current presidents
(Barbara Ford, Loriene Roy, Jim
Rettig, Camila Alire and Roberta
Stevens) participated and delivered speeches at seminars.
initiatives have created a strong presence in Asian and Pacific Rim Countries in recent years.
Map of Seminars and Origins of Participants
Rebuilding Libraries in China and Taiwan
Mail A Book customers (from l.): Librarian Willie Simmons;
Mary Jane Hirsch (in wheelchair); Mail A Book customer
Edna York (hugging library worker Norma Jean Myrie),
Elaine Kaplan (with walker) and Kaplan’s aide.
Mail A Book friends Elana Jones and Selma B. Buchholz
share a confidence.
Networking and Collaboration
CALA helped to rebuild libraries in China damaged
and destroyed by the devastated 8.0 magnitude
earthquake in 2008
International Involvement
CALA has actively promoted diversity at a global level. Its members have contributed professionally and scholarly to the development of librarianship worldwide.
CALA raised over $20,000.00 to LSC that
were distributed to injured librarians by
and libraries destroyed or seriously damaged by the 2008 earthquakes in China.
Collaboration among CALA and Chinese
libraries & associations to provide Training
Seinars on Preparation for Natural Disasters, Emergencies, Digitization and Preservation of Library Collections.
Joint Mini Conference (NE chapters of REFORMA, CALA, APALA, BCALA, AILA)
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunrise
Celebrations Breakfast
Many
CALA members have made excellent presentations
to embrace the value of diversity and to share experience
in serving diverse users
Since 2005, the NE chapter of five ethnic librarians associations have organized six joint conferences annually
The conferences have attracted librarians from across the
countries to participate in and present at the programs
Leaders from across the ALA joined the celebration and read selections from the works of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Dr. E. J. Josey.
Book on china earthquakes for sale to raise
funds for rebuilding Chinese libraries' collections.
CALA thanks the Medical Library Association and our donors for their generous
donations.
Books-for-China Fund (BFCF)
is an organization founded by
Professor John T. Ma. Since the
founding of this project in 2005,
twenty-one containers of books
have been sent to Chinese university libraries.
Professor
John T. Ma.
Global Memory Net (GMNet) is a world digital library of cultural, historical,
and heritage image collections. It is directed by Prof. Ching-chih Chen of
Simmons College, Boston, Massachusetts and supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF)/International Digital Library Program (IDLP).
CALA helped to rebuild libraries in Taiwan destroyed
and damaged by August 3, 2009 Morakot Typhoon
CALA established the Task-
Shali Zhang at
the opening
ceremony of the
Library Society
of China Annual
Conference
2008.
force on Helping Taiwan Libraries Destroyed/Damaged
in the 88 Morakot Typhoon.
CALA collected donations
for the CALA 88 Morakot
Typhoon in Taiwan Relief
Fund.
CALA members
are leaders in library organizations at local, state, national, and international levels
Current and
past CALA
Newsletter Editors: Priscilla
Yu, Sai Deng
and Suyong Jiang.
cess to information and technology
Co-sponsored
CALA Project of President Alire’s Family Literacy Initiative
MW, 254
reaching efforts to facilitate the ac-
in 2006, this program
aims at promoting collaboration
and exchange between Chinese
and American librarians and addressing important issues of librarianship
CALA 2010/2011 Membership’s Geographic
Distribution by Chapter
CALA members are making global
Launched
As
CALA provides opportunities for educational and professional advancement for its
members
CALA offers scholarships to encourage and support diverse students to become future
librarians and library leaders
CALA supports ALA Spectrum Scholars
CALA provides travel grant and research grants to support its members to be scholarly
productive and professionally active and visible at conferences and programs
CALA provides outlets to showcase members’ scholarly and professional achievements
CALA Publications: CALA Newsletter, Journal of Library and Information Science, Occasional Paper Series, Spotlight on CALA
Members and Bridging Cultures.
CALA 21 Century Librarian Seminar Series Program
Sai Deng, CALA Newsletter Co-Editor, Wichita State University Libraries
Promoting Scholarship and Programming
Education Diversity
st
Total donations raised is
over $6,000.00.
R: At the IFLA: Claudia Lux, IFLA President 2007-2009, Michael
Dowling of ALA and Sha Li Zhang of CALA with the Ministry of
Culture officials in China.
Presidents of 5 ethnic caucuses
read words of MLK - 2009 Denver.
Joint Project of Think Globally, Act Globally
Spotlight: Together We Can Make More of an Impact
CALA President Sha Li
Zhang read words of Dr.
King. Denver, 2009.
As an ALA affiliate, CALA has actively connected and collaborated with library organizations to achieve national success in promoting the value of diversity. These photos have highlighted CALA’s participation and contribution in planning and organizing many programs and activities.
Joint Conference of Librarians of Color
(JCLC) 2006
CALA actively participated in the first ever national conference jointly sponsored by five ethnic associations
(AILA, APALA, BCLC, CALA, REFORMA), October
11–15, 2006 in Dallas, TX
CALA Has Taken a Leadership Role in the Planning
of JCLC 2012
CALA Executive Director Haipeng Li co-chairs the steering committee
CALA members have enthusiastically volunteered to serve on committees
Joint Project of Think Globally, Act Globally
Ethnic Caucus Presidents Meetings
The partnership of University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, CALA, and Library Society of
China wins near half million IMLS grant for US-China librarian collaboration and exchange
Six teams of CALA members have delivered lectures in China
CALA chapters have hosted Chinese library leaders for their visits in the US
Organized by the ALA Office for Diversity, ethnic
caucus presidents meet during the ALA to share information of common interest and plan for joint
programs
Xi'An September 2009: September 16-18, 2009, Continuing Education Program at Xi'An, China.
Min Chou, representing CALA,
read words of Dr. Josey. Boston,
2010.
2006 JCLC, Dallas, TX - Gathering at Waters: Embracing Our Spirits, Telling Our Stories.
Photos of fundraising events during
the ALA Midwinter
Meetings in Denver and Boston.
Inspiration and Participation
April Training for the May 2009 Presenters: Pretraining session held at UIUC for the first group of
presenters who will visit China in May.
CALA Executive Director Haipeng
Li, Co-Chair of JCLC 2012 Steering Committee, read words of Dr.
Josey. Boston, 2010.
Signing Ceremony held at Library of Congress Members
Room. From left to right: Adair Margo, Chairman of the
PCAH; Professor Paula Kaufman; Dr. Zhan Furui; Minister Cai Wu.
The Think Globally, Act Globally (TGAG)
Chinese Delegates in the USA.
TGAG 2010 CALA Delegate in Changchun,
China.
Dr. Camila Alire as the keynote speaker of
CALA’s 21st Century Seminar in Shanxi, China..
Photos of CALA IMLS “Think Globally, Act Globally” seminars in China.