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-Multicultural Libraries' services and social integration: The case of public libraries in Montreal Canada.Authors:1 paopicco@adinet.com.uySource:; 2008, Vol. 27 Issue 1, p41-56, 16p, 1 Chart : The PDF for this article is in our File.

I uploaded a doc on Toronto Public Library and Windsor PL settlement services, in the file.

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Reading by Russian-speaking immigrants in Toronto: use of public libraries, bookstores, and home book collections: PDF in our File

Halifax public library, English for immigrants: [] and a program on Financial Planning for Immigrants and Refugees, offered at the library but by the YWCA and Citizenship Canada. Out of 1190 programs offered, only two directed at immigrants/newcomers. Search of multilingual resources in the catalogue lists everything not in English or French. Can't search by language. Certainly can't search in Arabic, 3rd most common language in the Halifax Regional Municipality. Can narrow by topic, which would narrow by language.

Montreal Public Libraries: Les Mots Partages (the shared words), in which "Montrealers of diverse origins get together to converse, read and write in French." assimilation? But no more so than ESL programs in English speaking provinces. [] It lists a page for information for immigrants but it's a dead link, as is the one for "new arrivals". All in all information for immigrants and newcomers is very hard to find anywhere in bibliotheque montreal. There is one that links to an offsite job search service for immigrants, which then links again to either Immigration Canada or to an information page that tells of how to immigrate, work or study in Quebec.

Toronto Public Libraries - has only English and French as options on the homepage for languages in which to view them. It does, however, have an entire category of library programs and services for newcomers and ESL. It has ESL and conversation classes specifically aimed at Chinese, Mandarin and Spanish speakers. It has sessions on women's health specifically for newcomers and drop in programs to help with settlement issues. There are programs to promote awareness of elder abuse in the immigrant community and mentoring for immigrant professionals. There is a program that provides an overview of the Ontario high school program, one for civic engagement of immigrant seniors, tours of the library specifically for newcomers, job search workshops, a teen club for newcomers, income tax information (which runs year round), classes on how to become a Canadian citizen, parenting under Canadian law, TOEFL prep, interview skills, financial literacy, computer courses, how to start a small business, free legal information on immigration, WINTER SAFETY, dental care, many programs for newcomer seniors including civic involvement, elder abuse, personal safety for seniors. TPL system even created a magazine for newcomers in partnership with Citizenship Canada, "Canadian Newcomer Magazine".

Hamilton - the library site is linked to the city site. There really is no services at all listed on the webpages for newcomers. the only reference at all found is a call for volunteers to help teach ESL. There isn't even a policy on services to newcomers, nothing mentioned. Toronto doesn't either, but it has MUCH more for newcomers than Hamilton.

Vancouver public library: Homepage has seven different languages: English, French, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Hindi. has the Skilled Immigrant Info Centre for immigrants looking for work: []

Stats Canada - Immigration in Canada, a portrait of foreign born ... [] Halifax - largest foreign born population in Atlantic Canada Montreal - 3rd largest foreign born population in Canada Toronto - largest Hamilton - third largest proportion of foreign born Edmonton - larger share in 2006 calgary - Fastest growing foreign born population Vancouver - largest in the west.

Census tables - [] to start, eastern side of country.

Introduction

It is incumbent on libraries to provide information. "...those without adequate access to information are socially excluded, and those who are socially excluded may also lack access to mainstream sources of information or the proper social capital." (Caidi: p.303) Also, depending on the method of immigration - for instance, refugee, skilled immigrant, sponsored family member - they will have different information needs and different methods of seeking out that information. And as the amount of time in the country lengthens, the information needs change. Immediate needs such as shelter, language and interpretation services morph into intermediate needs such as long term housing and citizenship and job information, which then evolves into long term information needs such as political information and financial planning. Also, just as important as formal information, is the social network of the newcomer. (Caidi: p.305) If the library can help establish or add to the newcomer's social network with conversation circles or ESL classes then the library should attempt to offer that service. Libraries must take into account what newcomers know, how they came to know it, and how they make sense out of it in order to create better access to information for them. Caidi claims that in order to understand the information practices of immigrants once must first understand information seeking behaviours, social inclusion and social capital.

But social inclusion could result in cultural absorption. Do we attempt to facilitate assimilation or do we try to help them keep their cultures alive in the midst of an entirely alien culture? On the one hand, social cohesion is necessary for a society to grow and progress, but on the other hand, Canada has embraced multiculturalism and so does not seem to regard social cohesion as a necessary state in which to be. And social cohesion inherently means the loss of the incoming culture as they assimilate into the existing culture. Where is the balance? I have no idea, but libraries can actually play both sides of this game, helping newcomers to fit into the culture that we already have here with language instruction and information on how to access services, and at the same time making sure that we have collections that include foreign language materials such as books and current newspapers and magazines so that they are able to keep their culture alive for them and their children.

Calgary was/is offering a family storytime combined with ESL teaching specifically for immigrants with language barrier issues. They are partnering with agencies in the community to bring the programs to the people rather than the people to the library in the hopes that a program like that will hook them into approaching the library for more.

At the same time that libraries are attempting to facilitate the learning of the national languages, they also must be able to relate to newcomers in their own language. Have a staff that is as culturally diverse as the community it serves is crucial to being accepted and welcomed by the newcomer communities. Some public library systems such as the one in Surrey have librarians on staff who come from the four largest immigrant groups who are in charge of outreach to those communities.

Partnerships are essential to the success of these programs, not least because the government will fund the programs to be delivered through the libraries. The Toronto Public Library has partnered with federal government departments to deliver programs not just in the libraries but in schools as well, in addition to the creation of a magazine specifically for new Canadians in the Toronto/Windsor area. The Hamilton Public Library system was a pioneer in partnering with government and private businesses to deliver programs to their community and now they have more partnership requests than they can acomodate. However, the Hamilton PL website is an offshoot of the city's site, they don't have their own domain. They do have a page for newcomer services, but you have to go to the programs and services page and then click through four more pages to find it.

Works consulted (for the slide show):

Bender, Kendra. 2008. "Library Services for Newcomers to Canada: Embracing Cultural Diversity//."// //Information for Social Change// 26: 89-93.

Berry, Evette. 2007. "Family Storytimes for new immigrants combine learning and fun." //Feliciter// 53 (1): 44-45.

Berry, Evette. 2008. "Multicultural services in Canadian public libraries". //BIBLIOTHEK - Forschung Und Praxis.// 32 (2): 237-242.

Brown, Ian. 2011. "Don't Discard the Librarians." //Globe & Mail// May 20. Retrieved online 27 November 2011 from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/dont-discard-the-librarians/article2030514/singlepage/

Caidi, Nadia, and Danielle Allard. 2005. "Social inclusion of newcomers to Canada: An information problem?" //Library & Information Science Research.// 27 (3): 302.

DALI, K. 2004. "Reading by Russian-speaking immigrants in Toronto: use of public libraries, bookstores, and home book collections". //The International Information & Library Review.// 36 (4): 341-366.

Hovius, Beth. 2006. "Public Library Partnerships which Add Value to the Community: the Hamilton Public Library experience". //IFLA Journal.// 32 (3): 214.

Kumaran, Maha, and Salt, Lorraine. 2010. //Diverse populations in Saskatchewan: the challenges of reaching them//. The Partnership: Provincial and Territorial Library Associations of Canada. http://www.criticalimprov.com/index.php/perj/article/view/1012

Paola Picco, M. A. 2008. "Multicultural Libraries' services and social integration: The case of public libraries in Montreal Canada". //Public Library Quarterly.// 27 (1): 41-56.

Quirke, Lisa. 2007. "More than books: Examining the settlement services of the Toronto and Windsor Public Libraries." //Our Diverse Cities// 4: 156-160.

Xue, Li. 2007. "Portrait of an Integration Process: Difficulties Encountered and Resources Relied On for Newcomers in Their First 4 Years in Canada. Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Research and Evaluation. Retrieved November 27, 2011, from http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/research/integration/index.asp

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.