Resource+Guide

CLA position statement on Library Services to Linguistic and Ethnic minorities http://www.cla.ca/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Position_Statements&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=3051

ALA Guidelines for the Development and Promotion of Multilingual Collections and Services http://www.ala.org/rusa/resources/guidelines/guidemultilingual

ALA wiki on serving multicultural populations http://wikis.ala.org/professionaltips/index.php?title=Serving_Multicultural_Populations

Annotated Bibliography:

Caidi, Nadia, and Danielle Allard. 2005. "Social inclusion of newcomers to canada an information problem?" //Library and Information Science Research// 27 (3): 302-324 -- The authors contend that the best way to create effective immigrant programs within libraries is to first understand information seeking behaviours, social inclusion and social capital. They say that creating a program that focuses on what we as native North Americans know and how we know it will not be of much use to newcomers who know different things, learn differently and make different sense out of what it is they know. Similarly, care must be taken when dealing with newcomers because they may have a completely different understanding of what a library is in North America. It may have different connotations and create misunderstandings with newcomers if they do not know the North American understanding of the concept of a library. The authors state that since most government and intergovernmental programs are aimed at those immigrants in the first stage of immigration, such as food and shelter, most of the actual barriers to social inclusion occur in the second stage of immigration, including job search information, permanent housing and school information, and this is where libraries should be targeting immigrant populations for provision of information. The authors conclusion is that libraries must offer services to newcomers that are both understandable and meaningful for them. This includes service and programs in their own languages so as to make it more accessible and accurate.

Mestre, Lori. 2009. //Librarians serving diverse populations: challenges and opportunities//. Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries. -- The author gives a front to back guide for hiring into a position such as community librarian. She starts with the types of positions that could be called multicultural librarians and how to prepare people still in library school to take on roles such as these, including the types of courses they should take if possible and what sorts of undergraduate degrees would prepare someone for a career in multiculturalism.