Access for All
Best Practices for Libraries Serving Immigrant Communities
Florida Library Association
2011 Annual Conference
Orlando, FL - May 4th, 2011

Panel
 Lucía M. González. President
REFORMA (The National Association to Promote Library and
Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking)
 Adam S. Davis. Branch Manager. West Boynton Branch
Library (Palm Beach County Library System)
 Isabel Castro. MLIS Graduate Student
San Jose State University
 Alicia K. Long. MLIS Graduate Student. Spectrum Scholar
University of South Florida – School of Information
Serving Immigrants
 Introduction: Who are Florida’s Immigrants?
 Access to Services
 Collection Development
 Programming
Multicultural Communities
 All people live in an increasingly heterogeneous society.
There are more than 6,000 different languages in the
world. The international migration rate is growing every
year resulting in an increasing number of people with
complex identities. Globalization, increased migration,
faster communication, ease of transportation and other
21st century forces have increased cultural diversity in
many nations where it might not have previously existed
or has augmented the existing multicultural makeup.
- IFLA Multicultural Library Manifesto, 2009
Multicultural Communities: Guidelines for Library Services. Third Edition. International Federation of Library Associations and
Institutions. P.O. Box 95312, 2509 CH, The Hague, Netherlands. Tel: +31-70-3140-884; Fax: +31-70-3834-827; e-mail: IFLA@ifla.org;
Web site: http://www.ifla.org, 2009. Print.
What is an immigrant?
The Nation’s Immigrants
 States with 18.7% or more foreign-born population
Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2005-2009 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.
Florida’s Immigrants
Florida’s Population Total:
15,058,521
Foreign-Born by Region
Caribbean:
1,383,555
South America:
599,447
Other: 514,094
Foreign-Born:
3,479,448
7%
81%
19%
3%
3%
2%
2%
2%
0%
Central America:
343,317
South and East
Asia: 297,750
Mexico: 275,428
Middle East:
65,857
Source: Pew Hispanic Center tabulations of 2009 American Community Survey (1%
IPUMS)
Florida’s languages
 Population speaking language other than English at
home:
4,412,787 people (population 5 years of age and older)
 Languages Spoken:
Spanish:
Other Indo-European Languages:
Asian and Pacific Islander:
Other Languages:
3,221,199
870,129
230,892
90,567
Source: U.S. Census Bureau. 2005-2009 American Community Survey.
Spanish Speakers
French Creole Speakers
Number of speakers per language in Florida
Diversity in diversity
 Differentiate: Immigrants / Foreign-born / English
Language Learners (ELL) / Hispanics-Latino / Asian /
...
 Recognize: Immigrants; First, second or third-
generation Americans.
 Be specific: Spanish-speaking: Cubans, Puerto
Ricans, Hondurans, Colombians, etc.... and families
with members of different nationalities.
 Get to know your community!
Access for All: Why?

ALA Key Action Areas. Diversity.
“Diversity is a fundamental value of the association and its members,
and is reflected in its commitment to recruiting people of color
and people with disabilities to the profession and to the
promotion and development of library collections and services
for all people”

ALA Policy Manual. Section 60: Diversity.

Resolution in support of immigrants' rights to free public library
access. (ALA – REFORMA, 2005)
“RESOLVED, that the American Library Association work with
REFORMA and other affiliates to develop a public information
strategy to inform and educate public libraries and member
constituents about alternate forms of identification that will allow
free public access to library services for ALL immigrant populations.”
Access for All: How to Build your Case
 Demographics (based on language, country of
origin)
 RUSA RSS Guidelines for Library Services to Spanish-
Speaking Library Users
 RUSA RSS Guidelines for the Development and
Promotion of Multilingual Collections and Services
 Library Bill of Rights / Declaracion de los Derechos
de las Bibliotecas
 Freedom to Read
Access to Library Services
Partnerships
Organizations to seek out as likely partners:
• Government agencies
• Community-based organizations
• Immigrant organizations
• Adult education providers
• Local universities and community colleges
• Faith-based organizations
• Local public school systems
• Social services agencies
• Refugee and resettlement organizations
• Local business associations and service clubs
Library Services for Immigrants: A Report on Current Practices. Washington, D.C.: Office of Citizenship, U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services, 2006. Internet resource
The staff of The American Place, an immigration program at the Hartford Public Library in
Connecticut, took advantage of the proximity of their library to government offices and
developed a close working relationship with the local USCIS Hartford Field Office. Library
staff members regularly participate in community meetings hosted by the Hartford Field
Office to provide input on local immigration matters.
The Queens Borough Public Library in New York has a partnership with the
Queens Health Network, the largest healthcare provider in the area. They work
together to plan monthly “coping skills” workshops addressing the health needs
of immigrants and featuring speakers from two local public hospitals.
The King County Library System in the state of Washington joined forces with a local literacy
organization, a church, and the USCIS Seattle District Office to develop a pilot program called
“Centered on Citizenship.” The program’s goal is to involve teen tutors in preparing adult and
elderly citizenship applicants for the naturalization process. Tutoring includes question-andanswer practice for the naturalization test as well as English language dictation practice. In
addition, applicants get training and practice in techniques to help them handle the stress that
may arise during their naturalization interview.
Library Services for Immigrants: A Report on Current Practices. Washington, D.C.:
Office of Citizenship, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, 2006. Internet resource.
Access to Library Services
Outreach
Strategies for helping immigrant patrons feel welcome and
valued in the library:
• Serve on the library board.
• Library tours
• Roundtable discussions
• Participate in local public events to publicize the library’s services for
immigrants
• Print a brief brochure or flyer
• Develop public service announcements (PSAs) for local radio stations.
Library Services for Immigrants: A Report on Current Practices. Washington, D.C.: Office of Citizenship, U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services, 2006. Internet resource
The Outreach Librarian at the Boulder Public Library considers outreach to be
inextricably linked to partnerships. Her first step as an Outreach Librarian was to
attend meetings held by community groups and other organizations. In collaboration
with other agencies, the library was able to initiate an Immigration and U.S.
Citizenship Advocacy Group consisting of representatives of local government
agencies, schools, adult education and literacy programs, and other organizations.
The Queens Borough Public Library distributes “Help!” booklets and bookmarks to
assist immigrant library patrons. Available in English and 12 other languages, the
“Help!” materials feature basic library terminology.
“Library Links!,” the multilingual outreach program of the Minneapolis Public Library in
Minnesota, has six Bilingual Outreach Liaisons. These library staff members develop
partnerships, attend community events, make regular contact with other organizations
to inform them about library programs and events, and help introduce immigrants to
the library. Bilingual Outreach Liaisons also work regular shifts at the library so that
patrons will know when bilingual assistance is available. In addition, they also translate
all appropriate library-produced literature and provide training workshops for teachers
who work with immigrants.
Library Services for Immigrants: A Report on Current Practices. Washington, D.C.:
Office of Citizenship, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, 2006. Internet resource.
Barriers to Access
 What a library means to the patron depends on the
country of origin
 Staffing
 Physical access to collections and services
 Library policies
 Library cards
Access to Library Cards
An Example of Alternate ID:
Mexico’s “Matrícula Consular”
Matrícula Consular includes
local address.
Issuance Requirements
1.Proof of Nationality
2.Proof of Identity
3.Proof of Establishment
4.Issuance Fee Payment
Collection Development
 Why do we need materials in languages other than
English?
Isabel Castro
Librarians for Tomorrow
San Jose State University
10 Reasons Why We Buy
(Insert foreign language here) Materials
Adapted from
“10 reasons Why We Buy Spanish Books” by Al Milo, retrieved from
REFORMA’s website (resources and publications.)
1. It is part of our library's written mission statement to
serve the needs of a "culturally diverse community.”
2. It is part of our library's collection development plan
to purchase non-English materials whenever a group
in the community reaches 5% or more of the pop.
According to the Census, the Hispanic pop. of
Fullerton is 21%.
3. Spanish-speakers are "taxpayers" too and contribute to the
economic well being of the community. They pay sales,
property and utility taxes like everyone else!
4. Not all important literary works ever written have been
written only in English. There are authors like Pablo Neruda,
Octavio Paz, Isabel Allende, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Laura
Esquivel and Cervantes, who all wrote original works in
Spanish. Neruda even received the Nobel Prize for Literature
for his efforts!
5.
The Spanish-speaking have rights to information just like
everyone else, particularly in areas of health (e.g. AIDS), law
(e.g. how to become a citizen), and parenting (e.g. how to
support the family unit).
Their reading interests are as wide and varied as those of
English speakers.
6.
There is a strong correlation between literacy in one
language and literacy in a second language. Just by being in
the library, a Spanish speaker gets exposed to the wealth of
material available in the English language. When I have done
ESL tours I point out our pictures books and even the juvenile
collection as starting points for learning basic English.
7. The library is helping to provide opportunities for recent
immigrants to learn English. We have ESL tapes, bilingual
dictionaries and literacy classes. How else are they going to
learn! People don't learn English just because you pass a law.
They need to be provided with opportunities to learn English.
8. The majority of Spanish speakers that I have met in the library
agree that in order to function in the United States that they
need to learn English. Most of them are "thirsting" for the
ability to speak in English. Just look at the many names on
waiting lists for ESL classes. Like many immigrants before them,
however, it takes time. Usually by the 3rd generation they, like
others before them, become monolingual English speakers. It
was true of the Germans, the Irish, and other groups.
UPDATE: 14% of second-generation Hispanics report that they
speak only English, while a mere 6% are Spanish-only speakers.
80% of second-generation Hispanics are bilingual, with 92% of
them speaking English well or very well, and half of them
indicating that they are actually English-dominant (Pew 2004a,
2004b; Alba 2004).
9. Traditionally, public libraries have always had non-English
collections. Look at the large city libraries of NYPL, LAPL and
Chicago PL. In California one of the main differences is that
now the emphasis is on Pacific Rim languages and not
European languages. Why weren't there complaints 10 years
ago when Fullerton's collection was predominantly Italian,
German, and French books?
10. Finally, the proportion of Spanish books purchased is still
dwarfed by the proportion of English books in the collection.
Fullerton has 3,000 Spanish books out of 250,000 books
total. This translates into only 1% of the collection! If
anything, we should be buying more Spanish books not less.
Programming
Multicultural Programming:
Sharing Similarities and Differences
Lucía M. González
Formula for success
 Program responsibly to serve the real needs
of the families and children in the
community while promoting mutual
knowledge, respect, and appreciation.
First Voice Programming
 Write a grant so you can bring performers, authors,
and renowned special guests
 Include music, dancing, puppetry, and treats in the
story hour
 Work with artists and personalities in the
community
 Celebrate significant cultural events such as the
independence day of the countries of origin of the
majority of the groups in your community, Three
King’s Day, Dia de los niños, NOCHE DE CUENTOS,
etc.
Recommendations

Library programming must first and foremost respond to the needs
of customers and potential customers.

Take the time to introduce the myriad resources available at the
library, so that they can find a job, read about what is happening in
their home country, and find a good book.

As part of the program, introduce audience to related library
resources and information on how to use the library in their own
language.
A performance by a local folkdance group would be followed by a
brief discussion of the books, web links and other resources available
on the particular dance tradition, the country and other art forms.

Always have bilingual handouts that include information on how to
sign up for a library card
Offer Wide Selection
 Family Literacy
 Community/public services informative
programs
 Vocational Programs
 English language instruction
 Computer classes (in their language, or
bilingual)
Recommended!
Queens Library Newcomers
Programswww.queenslibrary.org/index.aspx?page_nm=NAP++Programs

Coping Skills: Free lectures and workshops in the most widely
spoken immigrant languages of Queens on topics essential to new
immigrants' acculturation, such as citizenship and job training
information, advice on helping children learn, and information on
available social services.

Cultural Programs: Free readings, concerts and workshops
celebrating the literary, performing and folk arts of immigrants from
Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
Recommended!
Broward County Library’s Newcomers/New Americans
Program
www.bplfoundation.org/newcomers.htm

Designed to assist residents from other countries, whose
primary language is not English, or who are not English
proficient, to successfully maneuver life and living in America,
offering courses to develop employability skills, computer
skills, citizenship orientation, parenting, home buying, cultural
programs and young adult forums in Spanish, Haitian Creole
and Portuguese.A Multiethnic Resource Online Directory was
produced with funding from this program that includes civic
and political organizations, cultural groups, educational
organizations, gay and lesbian organizations, media
organization and religious organizations. It also includes a
listing of festivals and other cultural celebrations.
Family Literacy – Noche
STORYTELLING NEVER FAILS
http://accessforall.wikispaces.com
Thank You / Gracias / Obrigado / Di ou mèsi / Salamat / Danke / Merci / ‫شكرا‬/
शक्रु िया / 谢谢 / Grazie / 감사합니다 / ...