IRLS 554-001
Diverse Cultures, Communities, and Libraries
Elizabeth Martinez

COURSE SCHEDULE

This is a virtual course and subject to changes in the schedule in order to accommodate current topics of interest that can lead to discussion.  View the PBS video series “Race: The Power of an Illusion” sometime during the summer course.  It will be the subject of ongoing discussion.

Here is a basic general schedule of topics with the readings for discussion.  Many of the citations are older but serve as good background to the role of libraries and culturally diverse populations.  Newer citations will be posted online. Students are expected to contribute to the readings by posting and discussion other articles and books.

June 5 - 23:  Focus on Diversity; the American experience and historical perspectives as background.

·        Discussion and use of www.implicit.harvard.edu

·        Discussion of paper by librarian Michael McLaughlin (Winnebago), American Indian Resource Center, County of Los Angeles Public Library, Huntington Park CA.  (To be provided online).

·        Discussion of readings listed below.

·        Discussion of the video series is ongoing.

IMPORTANT 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.      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 Orlean.

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.

June 23 – July 14:  Diversity, the Internet & Cultural Lens.

·        Assignment 1 on Internet Resources.  Students will post and discuss their assignment during this time.

·        Discussion of Cultural Lens – the perspective from where we see the world.

·        Discussion:  Are elders primary sources of information?  What is authoritative cultural information?

·        Discussion of reading listed below.

·        Discussion of the video series is ongoing.

RECOMMENDED 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.      Bigelow, Jane M. H. “Library and Information Services for Native Americans,” Multicultural Review, 3(4): 20-24, 1994.

3.      Metoyer-Duran, Cheryl.  “The Information and Referral Process in Culturally Diverse Communities,” RQ, 32(3): 168-173, 1994.

4.      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.

5.       Holland, Maurita and Smith, Kari. “Broadening Access to Native American   Collections via the Internet.  Museums and the Web 1999, Archives & Museum Informatics.

6.      Metoyer-Duran, Cheryl.  “The Information and Referral Process in Culturally Diverse Communities,” RQ, 32(3): 168-173, 1994.

7.       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.

July 1 – July 14:  Information Institutions & Diverse Cultural Services. 

·        Discussion of Assignment 2.

·        Discussion of how libraries address culturally diverse populations.

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

July 15 – August 4:

·        Assignment 2:  Advocacy Action Papers.  Students will post and discuss their paper online.

·        Discussion on all readings including those listed below, resources and presentations.

·        Cultural Lens revisited discussion.

Assignments

1.  Research Internet Resources

Select a culturally diverse community from the following; emphasis is on Latinos and Native Americans since this is a Knowledge River course. Choose from the following populations: (1) Latino – Chicano, Mexican American, Central American, Cuban or other, and (2) Native American  - Tohono Odaham, Apache, Navaho, Yaqui or other specific nation.  Students may research other populations including African American, Armenian, Korean, Persian, Russian, and Vietnamese as approved by the Instructor.

Find 5 websites that reflect the community from their own perspectives, their own voice. 

·        Discuss the usefulness of the 5 sites; include one local site, one official government site, and historical, cultural, artistic, or other sites about the culture.

·        Provide a list of the URL’s for the sites.

·        Determine how these sites are useful to librarians.

·        Discuss your findings and analysis.

2.Advocacy Paper: Library Services to a Specific Group at a Specific Library

Select a library to research and assess for their effectiveness in providing services and programs to a specific diverse population.  Visit the library and look for evidence such as the following:

·        Physical items such as signage in a non-English language community, posters and décor, collections, brochures, program announcements, services;

·        Staff who are culturally and language related;

·        People in the library and how they are using resources.

 Interview a librarian at the library and request information on the following:

·        Inclusion in the Strategic Plans of services to this diverse community;

·        Budget allocations for collections, programs, and services;

·        Other information about the diverse community and the library.

Write an Advocacy Action Paper in support of library services to this group, and include your findings, evidence demonstrated, 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 at a particular library, and may have to convince library staff to support you.

·        Length:  a minimum of 12 double-spaced pages including a bibliography.

·        Confirm the topic of the paper with the instructor by July 1.

·        Discuss the paper and recommendations for action.