Cultural and Racial Diversity Committee Blog

‘Red Tails’ actors honored to play Tuskegee Airmen on screen - Chicago Sun-Times

2012-01-15T07:25:00.001-06:00

‘Red Tails’ actors honored to play Tuskegee Airmen on screen - Chicago Sun-Times

Filmmaker and director Frank Martin mentioned this film during his talk at the ILA Conference DiversiTea.

Teapot Raffle

2011-08-18T18:30:00.002-05:00

This beautiful teapot will be one of the raffle prizes at the DiversiTea!, during the ILA conference.

For Love of Liberty

2011-07-30T07:08:00.007-05:00

On Wednesday, October 19th, from 3:30 - 5:00 p.m., Frank Martin, Director of For Love of Liberty will be our guest speaker at the ILA Conference. Do not miss this opportunity to hear about our fellow Americans serving their country, with stories that should not be overlooked, ignored, or forgotten in the history books. Register now at the ILA's Website for the DiversiTea! event.

Visit the For Love of Liberty Website.

Courthouse News Service: Black Student Can't Be Valedictorian

2011-07-30T06:30:00.000-05:00

Courthouse News Service

2011 DiversiTea!!

2011-07-24T21:32:00.005-05:00

You are invited to the DiversiTEA, Wednesday, October 19, 2011!

Feature Speaker: Frank Martin, Film Producer
October 19, 2011, 3:30-5:00 p.m.
Place: Donald E. Stephen Convention Center in Rosemont, IL

DiversiTEA! Diversity Bold, Brilliant, Brave! & Annual Tea Pot Raffle benefiting the Sylvia Murphy Williams’ Scholarship Fund

Over delectable desserts, pastries, seasonal fruits, coffee and tea, Frank Martin, producer and director of For Love of Liberty: The Story of America’s Black Patriots, will show clips from the film and discuss his high-definition PBS miniseries.

Moderator: Vandella Brown, Illinois State Library
Sponsor: ILA Cultural and Racial Diversity Committe

Tickets: Register for the Annual Illinois Library Association Conference (October 18-20, 2011)

For more information visit: http://www.ila.org/conference-and-events/2011-annual-conference
or http://www.ila.org/epub/2011/preliminary/#/1/

My Fellow American Website

2011-07-24T21:03:00.005-05:00

Elizabeth Potter of the Unity Productions Foundations contacted me to provide information about the My Fellow American Website, and the video which shows that Muslims are a part of America. The Website can be found here:

http://myfellowamerican.us/

The video is here:

News from Chicago Area Archivists Listserv

2011-01-22T10:08:00.002-06:00

From the Chicago Area Archivists listserv:

"Dear CAA Colleagues,

I am delighted to inform you that the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) has awarded a two-year “Hidden Collections” grant in the amount of $499,500 to the Black Metropolis Research Consortium (BMRC) for our "Color Curtain" Processing Project: Unveiling the Archives of Chicago's Black Metropolis”.

The generosity of CLIR will enable the BMRC to process over 10,000 linear feet of its members' primary resource collections related to African American History, create EAD finding aids, and formally introduce undergraduate students into the archival profession.

Through this award, the BMRC seeks to expand intellectual control and arrangement of unprocessed collections discovered during our Andrew W. Mellon funded three-year (2009-2011) BMRC Survey Initiative. We will go beyond surveying by arranging & cataloging primary resources related to Chicago’s African American heritage. As this work is completed, a further objective of the “Color Curtain Project “ is to structure a comprehensive recruitment tool for the archival profession. Undergraduate students seeking careers in history and archival science will gain experience working in special collections repositories while processing African American related collections.

The BMRC extends its gratitude to CLIR for granting us with this generous award, which will significantly advance the teaching, study, and understanding of American history and culture.

About the BMRC

The Black Metropolis Research Consortium (BMRC) is an unincorporated Chicago-based association of libraries, universities, and other archival institutions with major holdings of materials that document African American and African diasporic culture, history, and politics, with a specific focus on materials relating to Chicago. The University of Chicago serves as Host Institution of the BMRC.

BMRC Members

1. Chicago History Museum

2. Chicago Public Library System

3. Chicago State University

4. Columbia College Chicago

5. Columbia Center for Black Music Research

6. Dominican University

7. DuSable Museum of African American History

8. Illinois Institute of Technology

9. Kennedy King College

10. Loyola University Chicago

11. Northwestern University

12. Roosevelt University

13. University of Chicago

14. University of Illinois-Chicago

Mission Statement

The BMRC is dedicated to making broadly accessible its members' holdings of materials that document African American and African diasporic culture, history, and politics, with a specific focus on materials relating to Chicago.

Best,

*************************************

Tamar Evangelestia-Dougherty
Consulting Archivist
Black Metropolis Research Consortium
University of Chicago
5720 S. Woodlawn Ave., Room 210
Chicago, IL 60637

Research Web Site on Mayor Harold Washington

2011-01-22T09:56:00.001-06:00

"Black Research Site on First Black Mayor of Chicago"

http://eblackchicago.org/HAROLD/

Haki R. Madhubuti Reads from His Poetry

2011-01-22T09:43:00.002-06:00

Haki R. Madhubuti, founder of Third World Press, reads a passage from his poetry at the annual DiversiTea! event held at the Illinois Library Association fall 2010 conference, organized by the Cultural and Racial Diversity Committee. You may need to turn up your volume.

Honored Latinas

2010-03-07T21:48:00.001-06:00

Thanks to JoAnn Armenta for sending this link in honor of Women's History Month!

http://www.nwhp.org/resourcecenter/honoredlatinas.php

Bollywood Movie

2010-02-25T00:25:00.002-06:00

I do not know how soon this movie will be on DVD for your library to purchase. There are already reviews out on Amazon.com, even before there is a release date for the DVD.

I went to college with the writer, Shibani Bathija. It is in English, Hindi, and Urdu with subtitles. Subhash K. Jha is the Bollywood expert reviewer, please see: http://www.bollyspice.com/view.php/4386-my-name-is-khan-is-a-flawless-work-subhash-k-jha.html to decide if this DVD, when it comes out, is appropriate for your collection.

Librarians Serving Diverse Populations: Challenges & Opportunities (ACRL Publications in Librarianship #62) - Books / Professional Development - Books for Academic Librarians - New Products - ALA Store

2010-02-10T18:40:00.001-06:00

Congrats to I-CARD member Dr. Lori Mestere, for her new book featured in the 2/10/2010 edition of American Libraries Online:

Librarians Serving Diverse Populations: Challenges & Opportunities (ACRL Publications in Librarianship #62) - Books / Professional Development - Books for Academic Librarians - New Products - ALA Store

Check out a book, file a police report :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Chicago Crime

2010-02-07T21:41:00.000-06:00

This seems to be an unusual idea:

Check out a book, file a police report :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Chicago Crime

Library director has seen her share of segregation :: News :: PIONEER PRESS :: Franklin Park Herald-Journal

2010-02-06T21:25:00.000-06:00

Library director has seen her share of segregation :: News :: PIONEER PRESS :: Franklin Park Herald-Journal Good luck in the new job, Sharon!

Tentative Speaker for Annual DiversiTea!

2010-01-30T22:05:00.002-06:00

The Illinois Library Association's annual conference will return to Navy Pier for September of 2010. We have a tentative speaker for the Annual DiversiTea! event.

DiversiTea!
September 29, 2010
3:00-4:30 p.m.

DiversiTEA! Diversity “Out Loud” In Libraries & Annual Tea Pot Raffle benefiting the Sylvia Murphy Williams’ Scholarship Fund

Over delectable chocolates, seasonal fruits, coffee and tea, Haki Madhubuti, founder of Third World Press, poet, publisher, editor and educator, speaks out loud. Dr. Madhubuti has been a pivotal figure in the development of a strong Black literary tradition, emerging from the Civil Rights and Black Arts era of the 60s and continuing to the present. Over the years, he has published more than 28 books (some under his former name, Don L. Lee) and he is one of the world's best-selling authors of poetry and non-fiction. His works includes Black Men: Obsolete, Single, Dangerous?: The African American Family in Transition (1990), Don't Cry, Scream! (1969), GroundWork: New and Selected Poems 1966-1996 (1996), HeartLove: Wedding and Love Poems (1998), Tough Notes: A Healing Call For Creating Exceptional Black Men (2002), and Run Toward Fear (2004). His latest release is YellowBlack: The First Twenty One Years of a Poet's Life (2006).

Moderator: Vandella Brown, Illinois State Library

Sponsor: ILA Cultural and Racial Diversity Committee

January 23 Event at Woodson Regional Library

2010-01-18T08:24:00.001-06:00

Here is another press release distributed to the Chicago Area Archivists Listserv by Michael Flug:

"Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History & Literature Presents A Book Discussion and Signing With author Paul King

"Reflections on Affirmative Action in Construction"

Paul King was the former chair of the Chicago Business Council,and is a pioneer in the struggle to promote Black participation in the construction industry, including securing government support for minority contractor assistance programs. He has authored numerous works, including amicus briefs in the Fullilove vs. Klutznick Supreme Court case. He served on the Black Business Braintrust for Congressman Parren Mitchell’s [Dem-MD], shepherd of the first legislation requiring mandatory percentage goals for minority contractor utilization on federal contracts.

January 23, 2010, Saturday, 1:30 to 3:30 pm
Woodson Regional Library Auditorium
9525 South Halsted Street
312-745-2080

Scholarships for Archives Study for Underrepresented Students

2010-01-18T08:13:00.003-06:00

Originally Posted by Michael Flug on the Chicago Area Archivists Listserv:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Nancy Beaumont, Executive Director
312.606.0722 or beaumont@archivists.org

January 2010
Mosaic Scholarships Available
Financial and mentoring support to minority students pursuing graduate education in archival science

CHICAGO—The Society of American Archivists (SAA) will award up to two Mosaic Scholarships in 2010 to minority students pursuing graduate education in archival science. In its second year, the Mosaic Scholarship provides $5,000 in financial support, encourages students to pursue a career as an archivist, and promotes diversification of the American archives profession and the American historical record.

Archives contain documents and records of enduring value, and archivists work to ensure the identification, preservation, and use of the nation’s historical record. The Mosaic Scholarship will be awarded to selected applicants who demonstrate potential for scholastic and personal achievement and who manifest a commitment both to the archives profession and to advancing diversity concerns within it.

“The Mosaic Scholarship is just one way—albeit a very important way—in which SAA seeks to advance diversity within the profession,” said SAA President Peter Gottlieb.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the United States or Canada, and be of American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander descent. They must be currently enrolled in a graduate program or a multi-course program in archives administration, or have applied to such a program for the next academic year. For more information on eligibility requirements and application procedures, visit http://www.archivists.org/governance/handbook/section12-mosaic.asp.

The application deadline is February 28, 2010.

In addition to the scholarship, awardees will receive a one-year membership in the > Society of American Archivists and complimentary registration to the Archives*Records/DC 2010, the Joint Annual Meeting of the Council of State Archivists, the National Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators, and the Society of American Archivists.

The 2009 Mosaic Scholarship recipients were Janet Ceja of the University of Pittsburgh and Harrison W. Inefuku of the University of British Columbia.

The Society of American Archivists is a Chicago-based national professional organization representing more than 5,500 individual and institutional members. Founded in 1936, its mission is to serve the education and information needs of its members and to provide leadership to ensure the identification, preservation, and use of the nation’s historical record.

History Makers Hiring

2009-11-02T17:12:00.002-06:00

Looking for employment? The History Makers, the largest digital archive documenting the accomplishments of African Americans, has position openings. Please see:

http://www.thehistorymakers.com/aboutus/careers.asp

Illinois Library Association Luminaries

2009-10-31T15:37:00.006-05:00

The Illinois Library Association created the Illinois Library Luminaries program which recognizes the accomplishments of very special people, and is taking donations in their names. For more information on the Luminaries recognition, please see: http://www.ila.org/membership/awards/luminaries.htm

The ILA Cultural and Racial Diversity Committee is pleased to nominate Sylvia Murphy Williams for this well-deserved recognition. Sylvia served as President of the ILA (2002-2003) and Director of the Dundee Township Public Library, and gave back to her community. Sylvia was taken from us much too soon. She was struck down by fatal illness and lost her life on March 10, 2003. Sylvia’s bright light continues to shine upon us.

Please help us raise the funds to complete this effort.

Mail checks payable to: Sylvia Murphy Williams Library Luminary
The Illinois Library Association
33 West Grand Avenue, Suite 301
Chicago, IL 60654

(Please note this is not part of the Sylvia Murphy Williams Scholarship Fund.
That fund is separate and supports the ALA Spectrum Initiative.)

Please include:

Donor Name:

Institution:

Address:

Phone:

E-Mail:

Thank you for your generous support!

2009 Annual DiversiTea!

2009-10-31T15:12:00.003-05:00

Thank you to everyone who attended the 2009 Annual DiversiTea! at the Illinois Library Association conference in Peoria! Thank you to all who purchased raffle tickets for the teapot drawing which helped raise funds for the Sylvia Murphy Williams Scholarship Fund. Please see: http://www.ila.org/membership/awards/williams.htm for more information about the fund for scholarships. This year's theme was From Adversity to Diversity: Looking at Transitions in Children's Literature.

Dr. Christine Jenkins gives a presentation on books for young adults with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and queer content to an attentive audience.

Vandella Brown on Little Black Sambo

2009-10-31T14:51:00.007-05:00

Vandella Brown gave a presentation on Little Black Sambo entitled, "From Adversity to Diversity: Reading Helen Bannerman's Little Story: 1898-2009." She explored several different versions of it throughout its 110 year history and illustrated her presentation with an overhead projector.

One version by Anne Issacs is entitled Pancakes for Supper!

Another version by Josefina Urdanete follows the Bannerman story but has new illustrations and is in Spanish. The character's name Zambo caused controversy:

There are many other versions of the book, including one called Sam and the Tigers beautifully illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. Below are some recommended criteria for selecting a version to read.

Book Selection Criteria

2009-10-31T14:27:00.005-05:00

From Vandella Brown's presentation on Little Black Sambo:

Selecting Criteria for Little Books

The Council on Interracial Books for Children:
1. Check illustrations
2. Check storyline
3. Check lifestyles
4. Check primary relations
5. Check hero traits
6. Check effects on child's self image
7. Check author's background
8. Check author's perspective
9. Watch for "loaded words"
10. Check copyright date

REFORMA Meeting January 12, 2010

2009-10-31T14:14:00.001-05:00

Date: Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Time: 3:00 p.m. to 4:45 p..m.
Location: NSLS Learning Center (North Suburban Library System), 200 West Dundee, Wheeling, IL 60090
Cost: Free

There is a lot to share. Dig into new ideas and best practices for serving Latinos and Spanish speaking people at Reforma Midwest chapter meeting.

Reforma is the national association to promote library and information services to Latinos and the Spanish speaking, and an affiliate of the American Library Association. For questions contact Armando Trejo.

For more information about this meeting and to register, go to the Library Learning website or http://www.librarylearning.info/events/?eventID=8339

Press Release from Dominican University

2009-10-31T14:10:00.001-05:00

MEDIA RELEASES

Contact:
Jessica Mackinnon
(708) 524-6289
jmack@dom.edu

Dominican University appoints Tonyia Tidline as director of new doctoral program

Dominican University’s Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) has appointed Tonyia J. Tidline as director of its new Doctorate of Philosophy in Library and Information Science program. Tidline is also serving as an associate professor in the graduate school.

Tidline received her PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The Ohio State University and a master’s degree in library and information science from Kent State University. Her research interests include information behavior, administration and management of library and information services, research methodology, visual literacy, and information policy.

Recently an assistant professor in the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Alabama, Tidline has also been a lecturer and adjunct faculty in the School of Library and Information Science at San Jose State University. Her previous positions include public information officer at the Wexner Center of the Arts and research associate for the Ohio Legislative Service Commission.

One of only 50 schools in the country to be accredited by the American Library Association, Dominican’s graduate library school is particularly distinguished in the areas of children’s and youth literature, community informatics, cultural heritage/archival studies and the management of public libraries.

Founded in 1930, Dominican University’s Graduate School of Library and Information Science has grown to be one of the nation’s largest master’s degree-granting programs. For more information on Dominican University’s doctoral program in library and information science, please call the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at (708) 524-6845 or contact gslis@dom.edu.

Chicago Chapter of the ALA Black Causus Meeting

2009-10-31T13:47:00.002-05:00

Received via e-mail:

The Chicago Chapter of the BCALA will meet on Friday, November 13 at 7 p.m. at University Church, 5655 S.University Ave., one block west of Woodlawn in Hyde Park. Try parking on 57th Street, Woodlawn Avenue and 56th Street. Free parking is available after 4 p.m. at the University of Chicago's parking facility on the corner of 55th and Ellis and there may be street parking available. There are many places to eat on 57th Street east of Woodlawn.

At the meeting, will be planning our holiday gathering, which will be held on Friday, December 4, 7 p.m., most likely at University Church. Please bring contact information for people you would like to invite to the December 4 event to the November 13 meeting.

Please RSVP to Lala at lala_60637@yahoo.com or call 773-401-0474

From ALA E-Newsletter: Library in Abkhazia

2009-10-14T21:30:00.002-05:00

The October 14 e-newsletter of American Libraries included a link to a video on the 1992 destruction of the Abkhazian Research Institute of History, Language, and Literature by Georgian troops. In an effort to try to erase history, Georgian troops destroyed materials and books held at the Institute. This story is of a personal interest to me because I participated in the Citizens' Ambassador Program Archaeology Delegation to Russia, in late September to early October of 1992. Cautiously, the delegation went into Karbadino-Balkaria and Karachaevo-Cherkessia, two autonomous republics of Russia in the Caucasus Mountains, on the north side. There was already unrest in Georgia and South Ossetia, just across the border from our delegation. Shortly after my trip's end, parts of that region exploded with violence. Abkhazians are a minority group.

I am familiar with Thomas de Waal's work. I highly recommend it.

Conference at Princeton, 2010

2009-09-30T18:50:00.002-05:00

Call for Proposals – Deadlines Extended
Program proposals are now due on October 16, 2009.
Poster Session proposals are due on December 22, 2009.

The 2010 National Diversity in Libraries Conference, NDLC2010: From Groundwork to Action, will take place from July 14-16, 2010 in Princeton, NJ. The National Diversity in Libraries Conference (NDLC) is a biennial event that serves as a regional meeting for library staff members to discuss diversity issues, especially issues common to the host region's culture.

The 2010 NDLC Planning Committee invites you to submit a proposal for presentation at the conference. Proposal submission details are listed below.
Suggested Topics/Tracks

Conference presentations are sought in all areas of diversity, including but not limited to, the following:
* Workplace: administration and management; recruitment and retention; leadership; continuing education; mentoring; organizational culture; office environment; budgeting; motivation; staff skill development; cross-training; usability.
* User services: reference; collections; programming; health education; assessment; instructional design; marketing; collaborations; community spaces/learning spaces; outreach; the Library as a Place; customer service; consumerization; usability.
* Technology: emerging technologies; technology services; social networking; teaching and learning; innovations; online learning; core competencies; Library 2.0; YouTube; digitization; open source; visual media; web-based collaborative software; learning 2.0, SecondLife; widgets/applications/mashups; virtual libraries/scan on demand.

Presentation Formats

Presentations may take one of the following formats:
* Individual presentation
* Poster session - Deadline for submissions December 22, 2009
* Panel session

Submission Guidelines

Proposals which include all of the following will be considered:
* Name and contact information for principal contact (if more than one person will be presenting);
* Complete contact information for all speakers: include name, title, employer or affiliation, email address, telephone/fax numbers;
* Title of proposed program;
* Program theme;
* Program format;
* A brief (100 words or less) description of the program for conference program purposes;
* A detailed description (up to 500 words) for proposal submission review;
* At least three learning outcomes;
* Audiovisual/equipment requirements (if any); and
* Biographical statement of the presenter(s) (up to 50 words per presenter).

Program Proposal submission deadline: October 16, 2009.
Poster Session Proposal deadline: December 22, 2009

Notifications for programs will be made by early December, 2009.
Selection Criteria

All proposals will be peer reviewed. Successful proposals will:
* Identify critical diversity issues that will be treated in the program;
* Demonstrate how the audience will be engaged in program;
* Have a high degree of relevance to the projected conference attendees;
* Contain program content that can be re-purposed for continued discussion after the conference;
* Be unique and innovative or raise issues that have not yet been widely examined; and
* Have its foundation in recognized diversity research and/or statistics or presents new research and/or statistics

How to Submit Proposals

Submit proposals by email (Word document or PDF attachment) to ndlc2010 (at) Princeton (dot) EDU; Please also direct questions about the conference to this address (you will be required to confirm that you are sending a message to this email address).

Program proposal submission deadline: October 16, 2009.
Deadline for poster session proposals: December 22, 2009.
Visit https://qed.princeton.edu/main/NDLC2010 for additional information.

H/t to Mary Medjo for passing on the information!

Community Anti-Racism Training

2009-09-19T23:06:00.002-05:00

This organization does workshops for communities including churches for anti-racism training:

http://www.crossroadsantiracism.org/

The costs for the workshops, however, do not appear on the Web site.

OCLC Minority Fellowship

2009-08-19T21:32:00.002-05:00

The deadline to apply for the OCLC Minority Fellowship is September 8. Please see:

http://www.oclc.org/us/en/news/releases/200944.htm

for details.

ALA Diversity Research Grant

2009-02-04T18:19:00.002-06:00

For anyone who missed the ALA Diversity Grant annoucement, here it is the link.

Scholarship Available

2009-01-21T06:48:00.003-06:00

Information on the 2009 Archie Motley Memorial Scholarship for Minority Students is available at:

http://www.midwestarchives.org/motley.asp

ILA Election Coming Soon!

2008-12-21T22:24:00.003-06:00

We hope ILA members will consider voting for Terry Cottrell, Director of Library Services at the University of St. Francis in Joliet, for Member-at-Large. Terry holds an MBA and gave an excellent presentation on leadership at the Illinois Association of College and Research Librarias (IACRL) Conference in Bloomington this past March. Terry would make a first-rate Director for the ILA's Board.

Voting begins and ends in the month of April of 2009 and more information will follow from the ILA to members.

Society of American Archivists Press Release

2008-11-25T18:26:00.003-06:00

Mosaic Scholarship Established by SAA

Financial and mentoring support to minority students pursuing graduate education in archival science

CHICAGO-The Society of American Archivists (SAA) has established a new scholarship for minority students pursuing graduate education in archival science. The Mosaic Scholarship will provide $5,000 in financial aid and offer mentoring support to encourage students to pursue a career as an archivist. It will be awarded to two applicants for the first time in 2009.

Archives contain historical records and artifacts, and archivists work to ensure the identification, preservation, and availability of the nation's historical record. The Mosaic Scholarship was established in 2008 to promote diversification of the American archives profession. The award will be given to applicants who demonstrate potential for scholastic and personal achievement and who manifest a commitment both to the archives profession and to advancing diversity concerns within it.

"SAA is committed to recruiting and developing a diverse archives workforce and the Mosaic Scholarship is one important step toward achieving that goal," said SAA President Frank Boles.

Scholarship applicants must be United States citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. or Canada, and be of American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander descent. They must be currently enrolled in a graduate program or a multi-course program in archival administration, or have applied to such a program for the next academic year. For more detailed information on eligibility requirements and application procedures, go to:

archivists.org/governance/handbook/section12-mosaic.asp

The application deadline is February 28, 2009.

In addition to the scholarship, awardees will receive a one-year membership in the Society of American Archivists and complimentary registration to the 2009 SAA Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas.

The Society of American Archivists is a Chicago-based national professional organization representing more than 5,400 individual and institutional members. Founded in 1936, its mission is to serve the education and information needs of its members and to provide leadership to ensure the identification, preservation, and use of the nation's historical record.

Chicago Tribune: Exploring Race

2008-10-12T22:34:00.003-05:00

Dawn Turner Trice's "Exploring Race" blog is at this link:

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/race/

She also describes the real blood bath on the streets of Chicago in her column entitled "Local carnage covered up by Wall Street woes" in the October 13, 2008 edition linked here, at least for now.

We cannot educate kids in libraries if they are already dead.

I-CARD 2008 ILA Conference

2008-10-11T11:17:00.006-05:00

Thank you to everyone who attended the I-CARD sponsored activities at the 2008 ILA Conference at Navy Pier in Chicago! A special thanks goes to Barbara Ford of the the Mortenson Center at the University of Illinois for coordinating the 2008 Associates, our very enthusiastic international guests!

Thanks goes to the I-CARD Committee members and our past members who continue to help out:

Barbara Andrianopoli
Vandella Brown
Melody Coleman
Terry Cottrell
Betty Cress
Veyshon Edmond, Intern
Emily Guss, Board Liason
Sharon Highler
Mary Medjo Me Zenque
Lori Mestre
Stephanie Owen
Mary Tuytschaevers
Roberta Webb

These folks put up with my e-mail messages, which often have subject lines such as "Long E-mail" and "Crazy Idea" all year long to pull this conference off. They are brave enough to read those messages! --Kay Shelton, Chair

See you next year in Peoria, and maybe sooner elsewhere!

DiversiTea! Patrick Dawson

2008-10-11T10:59:00.005-05:00

Patrick Dawson now serves as the Dean of the University Libraries at Northern Illinois University. He recently came from the University of California, Santa Barbra where he served as the Associate University Librarian for Information and Research Services and the Head of the Colección Tloque Nahuaque, for resources on Chicano studies. That library collection had its origins with students. Chicano and African Americans took over the computer lab and told the university that they wanted Chicano and African American studies programs.

To emphasize that libraries generally do not represent the population that they serve, Dawson provided statistics. In 2002, 208 African Americans, 147 Latinos, and 0.5% American Indians graduated with degrees in library science--for the entire United States. It is possible to engage in recruitment to the profession, which he did at Santa Barbara. The challenge is that librarians do not make as much money compared to other professions. Dawson, however, mentored three people and OCLC will start a new program for minorities with the intention of diversifying library management. He is currently working toward establishing a fellowship program, with the goal of helping recent library school graduates gain work experience for two years and build their resumes. His work is his way of giving something back to the profession because he benefited from a fellowship program in the past.

For more information on the Colección Tloque Nahuaque at Santa Barbara, please see the Web site at: http://www.chicst.ucsb.edu/collection/

For more information on Patrick Dawson, please see this link:
http://www.niu.edu/PubAffairs/RELEASES/2008/march/dawson.shtml

DiversiTea! Jenifer Grady

2008-10-11T10:11:00.005-05:00

Jenifer Grady, Director of the American Library Association-Allied Professional Association, spoke on a variety of workplace issues and missed opportunities. She told a story of talking to some kids at 73rd and Stony Island who were using degrading language.* Just letting it go would be a missed opportunity to help the kids learn. Other missed opportunities include when people own stock but they fail to vote on the investment boards that could have shaped the direction those companies take.

In the workplace, genetic discrimination now includes DNA and health issues. She gave a hypothetical example of an employer not wanting to hire certain people because they might get arthritis. Another example of diversity that people may overlook is someone coming from a big city and going to a small town.

The ALA-APA has information on competencies for public libraries for managers. Grady explained how professional development can be an equalizer. There are, however, only six African American librarians in leadership positions in Illinois. But, that means we “have room for you.” For salaries, even if some salaries go up one at a time, that does raise the overall salaries in the state. She emphatically emphasized that comparing librarians’ salaries to those of social workers and teachers needs to stop. She suggested that more people should be involved with negotiating salaries.

Grady mentioned three other factors that would help improve the workplace. When new employees start, there is a need to introduce them to all of the staff all of the time. Next, there is a need for people to mentor and coach employees. Lastly, everyone needs to document accomplishments.

For more information on the American Library Association-Allied Professional Association, please see the Web site at: http://www.ala-apa.org/

For more information on Jenifer Grady, please see the ALA Wiki at: http://wikis.ala.org/spectrum/index.php/Jenifer_Grady

*For our international visitors, 73rd and Stony Island is on the South Side of Chicago.

DiversiTea! Tracy Worth

2008-10-11T09:25:00.010-05:00

Thanks to the ILA for granting permission for the use of their photo of Tracy Worth.

Professional recording artist Tracy Worth dedicated the song “Wind Beneath My Wings” from the Bette Midler movie Beaches to the memory of Sylvia Murphy Williams. Natural light streamed in through the oversized windows during Worth's performance, bathing the radiant sound of her voice, warming the audience's senses and spirit.

Please visit Worth’s site at: http://www.tracyworth.com/index.html
and do not miss her story of going blind in one eye at:
http://www.tracyworth.com/testim.html

Tracy Worth is the professional name of Tracy Ducksworth, the Director of the Grande Prairie Public Library District that serves Hazel Crest and Country Club Hills, and a 2001 winner of the ALA's Spectrum Scholarship. For every purchase of her CD, "Don’t Let Heaven Pass You By,” she donates $5 to the Sylvia Murphy Williams Fund. You can find her CD on the online music ordering service CD Baby at:

http://cdbaby.com/cd/tracyworth

[I can attest to the excellent, unique customer service provided by CD Baby. --Kay]

DiversiTea! Vandella Brown

2008-10-10T22:00:00.006-05:00

Always a paragon of style, Moderator Vandella Brown set the tone for the DiversiTea! wearing a simply smashing hat.

Vandella serves as the Manager of the Illinois State Library Diversity Program. For information about the Illinois State Library Diversity Program as well as events and services offered, please see the WebJunction site at: http://il.webjunction.org/isl-diversity. There are links to diversity-related sites, including those at the American Library Association. For information on WebJunction itself, please see: http://il.webjunction.org/il-about.

Scholarship Success: Thank You!!

2008-10-08T23:46:00.012-05:00

Navy Pier formed a picturesque backdrop for the 2008 ILA Conference.

Thank you to all who generously gave toward the Sylvia Murphy Williams Scholarship Fund! Our Committee raised $1,302 on the day of the DiversiTea! at the ILA Conference, which exceeded our goal.

Thank you very much!!

Please read about the seven college students in Illinois who are this year's winners in the October edition of the ILA Reporter, available at the Publications link at: http://www.ila.org. We look forward to the continued success of these students and we hope to continue the scholarship for years to come! Those students who earned the scholarship are: Linda Sue Collins, Harriett Elizabeth Green, Deana Greenfield, Elizabeth Hernandez, Hannah Lee, Laksamee Anne Putnam, and Roy Saldana, Jr.

If you would like the opportunity to give something back to the library community in Illinois by helping the next generation of librarians achieve their dreams, please see the information about the Sylvia Murphy Williams Fund at:

http://www.ila.org/about/contributions.htm

Thank you again, to all who helped!

A special thanks to Cyndi Robinson and Bob Doyle of the ILA and everyone on the Conference Committee who made the 2008 Conference a success! Thanks also to the staff at Navy Pier for their quick response in setting up for the DiversiTea!

Instituto Cervantes Library (Tour Continued)

2008-10-04T17:17:00.003-05:00

Librarian Salvador Vergara (standing in the middle) explains some of the services that the Instituto Cervantes offers. The Instituto Cervantes trains many of the teachers in the Chicago Public Schools, offers an accredited diploma for teaching Spanish as a second language, and gives dance lessons. The library is one part of the center and it is open to anyone for free although to check out materials, there is a $25 fee to join as a member for students and seniors and a $50 fee for everyone else. The library has around 20,000 items including books in Catalan, Galician, and Basque. The sound recordings include interviews with writers. The library often fields questions for tourism for people planning trips abroad as well as provides assistance to specialized researchers. The library's online catalog links to a database in Madrid.

One unusual event that Salvador Vergara described is a partnership with a center in Hamburg, Germany for a live guitar performance with musicians collaborating via the Internet.

Instituto Cervantes Library (Tour Continued)

2008-10-03T21:44:00.006-05:00

According to Salvador Vergara, a little girl who use the library recently left four children's books on the table as though there would be other children sitting at the table to read them. Staff at the library thought the books looked so perfect on the table that they left the books right where the little girl placed them.

Instituto Cervantes Library (Tour Continued)

2008-10-03T21:28:00.006-05:00

The government of Spain established the Instituto Cervantes with dozens of locations in key areas all over the world. The purpose of the Instituto Cervantes is to promote the Spanish language and the cultures of Spain and Latin America, especially in areas such as Brazil where there are Spanish speakers yet they are not in the majority population. The Instituto Cervantes in Chicago offers the Biblioteca Severo Ochoa with more than 20,000 volumes, Spanish films, music recordings, Spanish lessons and classes at reasonable costs, continuing education for Spanish teachers, and cultural programming.

Reference:

Instituto Cervantes of Chicago. (n.d.). Instituto Cervantes. Brochure. Chicago: Instituto Cervantes of Chicago.

Victor M. Cortes (Tour Continued)

2008-10-03T21:13:00.006-05:00

Victor M. Cortes attended the lunch and when Lupe Lozano invited him to speak, he declined and replied that she already said what was important. He wrote a book called 10 de Marzo, La Marcha about the March 10, 2006 demonstrations about immigration which took place in Chicago and in cities across the United States. According to his press release, his book discusses events leading up to the demonstration, with a focus on Chicago. He wrote it from the perspective of an immigrant and through the eyes of other immigrants in the form of a novel meant to be more accessible by more people compared to an academic book. He held a book signing following the talks.

Reference:

Cortes, Victor M. (n.d.) 10 de Marzo La Marcha: Chicago, 2006. Press release.

Lupe Lozano (Tour Continued)

2008-10-03T21:10:00.011-05:00

Lupe Lozano, the widow of Rudy Lozano, gave a stunning story of their life together, and his tragic end. He was born in Texas and his family moved to Hammond, Indiana. While he was in high school, he asked for classes on Mexicans. Upon graduation, he entered the University of Illinois at Chicago, and pressured the university to adopt affirmative action policies. In 1973, illegal immigration became blamed for a downturn in the economy. Rudy gave up his education in medicine and became an activist. In 1979, he became an organizer for the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union, later director in 1983.

In 1983, Rudy Lozano ran for the 22nd Ward Alderman and lost by seventeen votes. Lupe Lozano said the election, "was taken away from us."* He worked to unite Latinos with African Americans by finding common ground and his organization helped Harold Washington become the mayor. According to Lupe, Rudy saw the area as north, south, east, and west united and did not want the election of Washington, an African American, to become racial dividing. While Washington served in Congress before becoming mayor, he tried to help undocumented immigrants, and he opened doors for Latinos and women. Soon afterward, someone assassinated Rudy Lozano by shooting him in his home in front of their two-year-old child. Today, the murder remains unsolved.

Following Lupe Lozano's talk, she showed a video created for 2008, the 25th anniversary of her husband Rudy's assassination.

*Chicago was notorious for voting fraud, as coined by the slogan "Vote Early, Vote Often."

Rudy Lozano Branch Library (Tour Continued)

2008-10-03T21:08:00.002-05:00

This picture is of chess boards at the Rudy Lozano Branch Library. The library hosts chess games and a group appropriately named the Knight Moves Chess Club. All ages are welcome to play and the library hosts children right after school beginning at 3:00 p.m.

Rudy Lozano Branch (Tour Continued)

2008-10-03T18:46:00.005-05:00

Stained glass images of houses, water, sun, and bridges are meant to symbolize growth in the Pilsen neighborhood, according to the artist Nereyda Garcia-Ferraz. A cactus in the center of each panel is in "homage to the founders of Mexico and to the Mexican people in Pilsen" (Chicago Public Library Rudy Lozano Branch n.d.). The stained glass can be seen by passerbys and is meant to draw in the public to the library, by letting them know that it is part of their community.

Reference:

Chicago Public Library Rudy Lozano Branch Library. (n.d.). A Guide to the Artwork at the Rudy Lozano Branch Library. Chicago: Chicago Public Library.

Rudy Lozano Branch (Tour Continued)

2008-10-03T18:40:00.003-05:00

Beautiful mosaic birds along the frieze

Rudy Lozano Branch (Tour Continued)

2008-10-03T18:22:00.008-05:00

Rudy Lozano Branch Director Hector Hernandez stands in front of the beautiful mosaic called Chic Chac by the artists Hector Duarte and Cynthia Weiss. The artists based the mosaic on the famous Toltec monument Chac Mool in Mexico. The orginal Chac Mool monument held offerings to the gods, especially Tlaloc, the rain god. The artists replaced the offerings with a book, and inserted Mayan symbols inside the book. The mosaic became a part of the library as the artists set them directly on the brick wall. They chose colorings which compliment the decorative red and blue frieze which appears along the walls in several sections throughout the library.

Following a lunch catered by the Nuveo Leon Restaurant, Director Hernandez provided a short history of the library. Prior to the building of the library, there were no library services, then a bookmobile, and then a storefront. The library dates to 1985 and is 18,000 square feet which is larger than some branch libraries. Planners thought people would walk to the library so there is no parking lot which allowed a larger building to fit in the area. It is meant to serve the Mexican population that grew in the area. There are about 45,000 people in the area the library serves. In the past, the neighborhood was about 95% Mexican but now that is about 80% Mexican due to gentrification.

Officials from the Mexican Consulate visit often and until recently, held many of their events in the library. The Mexican Consulate donated around 15,000 books to the Chicago Public Library and most of those went to the Lozano Branch.

Director Hernandez explained some of the services the library offers. There is introduction to the public library given in Spanish. The library tries to help high school drop outs and there are GED and ESL classes offered. The video collection includes some old Mexican cinema. There is a Cybernavigator who helps patrons and the current one recently earned a $3,000 scholarship for college. Lastly, Director Hernandez added that the Spanish language media is very eager to promote events.

Reference:

Chicago Public Library Rudy Lozano Branch Library. (n.d.). A Guide to the Artwork at the Rudy Lozano Branch Library. Chicago: Chicago Public Library.

Woodson Regional Library (Tour Continued)

2008-10-03T18:11:00.009-05:00

Director Richard Baker listens intently to a question from one of the visitors on the tour. A painting of the library's namesake, Carter G. Woodson, watches over the Circulation area in the background.

Woodson Regional Library (Tour Continued)

2008-09-23T22:52:00.004-05:00

The Woodson Regional Library fortunately has a large auditorium. The audience listens to Director Michael Baker explain a little about the history of the library. The construction dates to 1975, before technology became more entrenched in libraries which resulted in some "interesting wiring" according to Director Baker. Woodson is a regional library while branch libraries are meant to serve neighborhoods. The Chicago Public Library system has more branch libraries than any other city. There are two libraries currently under construction and five more in the planning stage.

Director Baker described some of the services the library offers. There is a teacher in the library that is paid for by the Chicago Public Library's Foundation specifically to give kids help with their homework after school. There is a cybernavigator who helps people learn how to use the computers; her nickname is CyberDebbie. There are also basic Internet classes to give urban users some education on computers. When patrons make a reservation to use a computer, they can choose to use word processing or just the Internet.

ILA Conference Bus Tour

2008-09-23T22:45:00.006-05:00

The Cultural and Racial Diversity Committee sponsored a bus tour to three libraries in the Chicago area that serve underrepresented groups. This picture is of a sculpture by Richard Hunt called Jacob's Ladder. It is named from the story in the Bible and it is a permanent sculpture in the Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection in the Woodson Regional Library of the Chicago Public Library. Our hosts at the Woodson Library told the group that the library has the second largest African American collection in the world.

Language Learning Alphabet Soup

2008-09-22T21:53:00.007-05:00

Most people know that ESL is an acronym for English as a Second Language but there are a couple other terms and phrases:

ELLs = English Language Learners. This phrase refers to any non-native speaker of English.

SEI = Structured English Immersion. English immersion refers to pulling children out of regular classes for two to three years, teaching all of their subjects in English (hence, English immersion, sometimes called sheltered English), and then having the children enter regular classes with the rest of the students (Guerrero 2002).

Dual or Two-Way Bilingual Education = Placing children who know another language that is not English into a classroom with native English speakers and teaching all of the children both languages. This often happens with Spanish, in which schools place native Spanish speakers in classrooms with native English speakers and all of the children learn both languages (Ramos 2007). Such an educational program may help give children an edge in employment opportunities later if they know both languages. Often, dual language programs involve splitting each day in half and teaching English and Spanish in the separate halves or splitting the week in half and teaching an entire day in one language and using the other language the next day (Barnett, et al. 2007).

References:

Barnett, W. S., et al. (2007). Two-way and monolingual English immersion in preschool education: An experimental comparison. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 22, 277-293.

Guerrero, M. D. (2002). Research in bilingual education: Moving beyond the effefectiveness debate. Language, public policy, and schooling: A focus on Chicano English language learners. In R. R. Valencia (Ed.), Chicano school failure and success: Past, present, and future. (170-192). London: Routledge Farmer.

Ramos, F. (2007). What do parents think of two-way bilingual education? An analysis of responses. Journal of Latinos and Education, 6(2), 139-150.

Please Share Your Favorite Diversity Books!

2008-04-20T23:03:00.004-05:00

What are your favorite books related to diversity topics? You are cordially invited to share a couple of paragraphs reviewing your favorite diversity book by posting here in the comments section. Please include the bibliographic citation and an approximate reading level. Any reading level would be fine, from preschool early reader to seasoned library administrator.

We would love to hear from you! Your patrons, especially kids, are welcome to write about their favorite diversity books, too.

Thanks, and happy reading!

Kay Shelton

Improving Latino Education

2008-04-20T22:23:00.006-05:00

I can recommend a book which should be of interest to librarians who serve areas with Latinos in their communities:

Valverde, Leonard A. (2006). Improving Schools for Latinos: Creating Better Learning Environments. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Education. ISBN-13: 978-1-57886-489-8

This book lays out the groundwork on approaches to improving schools for Latino children from a positive viewpoint. For anyone who has no idea where to begin in helping Latino students succeed in schools, this book would be a great start. The writing is clear, organized, and should be understandable by readers who are not school teachers or school administrators (i.e. community members, parents, and librarians). The book closes with an extensive list of resources for more information and how to find funding for projects. Most importantly, though, is this book points out how many different groups of people would benefit if education for Latinos could be improved. Besides the students themselves, native English-speaking children, parents, teachers, schools, communities, employers in businesses, and indirectly taxpayers could all benefit if the ideas put forth by Dr. Valverde became reality.

--Kay Shelton

Clip from ABC Primetime

2008-03-28T20:43:00.004-05:00

Ali Khan, Executive Director of the American Muslim Council, Chicago sent a link to this video. Watch how people react to an actor discriminate against a Muslim woman.

There was a little bit of a discussion on the Shiachat Web site about the Muslim woman hugging the man at the end--touching is not really done according to some people posting messages but many other people commented that it was OK because he was emotional, it was on TV, and it showed the politeness of the woman not to refuse the compassion.

I know the discrimination is real. I work part-time in a pharmacy and two customers asked a Muslim man who used to work there if he was a terrorist. He and I talked about it and I always wanted to ask the next customer who said something that stupid, "How do you know I am not a terrorist" just to see the look on the offender's face but I did not get a chance to do that.

--Kay Shelton

African American Lives on PBS

2008-03-02T08:10:00.004-06:00

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. interviews African Americans as they discover their ancestors through genealogical and DNA research in a series produced for PBS. There is a companion Web site to the first series and the second series, which will be released on DVD later in March.

Chinese New Year Links from LC Primary Resources

2008-02-23T15:10:00.004-06:00

Here are links for those interested in promoting the Chinese New Year (for 2009, it will be January 26). The links are courtesy of the Library of Congress Training on Primary Resources that I (Stephanie Sooryun) participated in (and our library director who organized them and added the links to additional resources):

About Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year Celebration
In-depth explanation of the 15-day Chinese New Year celebration Includes explanation of feasts, descriptions of traditional foods and decorations.

Traditions and History of Chinese New Year Celebrations

Articles from the 1880’s
”The Chinese New Year”
from The American Missionary. Volume 36, Issue 5, May 1882

“New Year's Day in China”
from The American Missionary. Volume 38, Issue 8, Aug 1884

Pictures
Chinese New Year: dragon dance, children and adults watching]: From San
Francisco Chinatown (post-1910)
Chinese New Year: dragon parade]: From San Francisco Chinatown
(post-1910)
Chinese New Year: Dragon dance, children watching
Chinese New Year: dragon dance, children watching
Girl in Traditional Dress
Chinese New Year, Chinese girl in traditional dress sitting in a chair
surrounded by various objects, furnishings and textiles.

Girl and Boy in Traditional Dress
Chinese New Year, Chinese girl and boy in traditional dress standing next to each other on a chair surrounded by various objects, furnishings and textiles.

Dance of the magnificent lion
Chinatown, San Francisco, Calif.: From Miscellaneous California views from the collection of Joseph A. Baird.

New Year’s in San Francisco
"Chinamen Celebrating Their New-Year's Day in San Francisco" and "Alter in the Chinese Joss-House, San Francisco"

Other Resources/Activities
Get Ready for Chinese New Year
Get ready for Chinese New Year. Start at the bottom and click on a moon... Based on the book "The Chinese Siamese Cat," written by Amy Tan

Chinese New Year Resources for Teachers
Teacher Planet has lessons and unit plans, worksheets along with other resources that look at the Chinese New Year.

About China
Global Gateways, Portals to the World, Library of Congress resources on China.

Stephanie Sooryun's Blog: Libraries, Research, and a Pot of Gold

2008-02-23T09:48:00.001-06:00

Please check out Stephanie Sooryun's blog: Libraries, Research, and a Pot of Gold. She is a fellow member of the Cultural and Racial Diversity Committee for the Illinois Library Association.

If you have your own blog about libraries, please share your URL! You do not have to be a member of the Committee or a member of the Illinois Library Association (ILA); of course, you are very welcome to join ILA.

A Time Out

2008-02-23T09:33:00.004-06:00

I do want to take a personal time out to say that I (the blog owner) am a Huskie. I became a Huskie in 1990, eighteen (mostly good) years ago. I hope your school, your university, your library, and your community does not have to face tragedy. If something does happen, you will discover first-hand how really connected we all are to each other.

I want to add a special thanks to the librarians of Virginia Tech, my colleagues from the ACRL/Harvard Leadership Institute Class of 2004, and my friends in ILA who sent notes of condolences, support, and advice. The words "thank you" now seem inadequate, but thank you.

Thank you all,

Kay Shelton

Message from BWS Johnson, Guest Librarian

2008-01-05T17:15:00.000-06:00

We've been waiting for you to join us.

We share your oppression, but we share your strength. It is safe here to voice all those things that we know are very right, but society tells us are very dangerous.

You are free here.

You are equal here.

These at long last are not the lies you have heard your whole life or since you discovered you were not like everyone else.

We want to come together.

None of us are perfect, but if we all share the good, we can be.

We can learn.

We really don't want those barriers anymore.

When you choose to be a Librarian, you are choosing to really serve and genuinely give back to the community.

Yes, most of any given day, you will just do your job. You will get people the hard information they are looking for. But every now and then, someone will share something of themselves with you. Or you will share something of yourself with them. We are all us. When it happens, it is magic.

You are choosing to teach. You are choosing to share yourself. You are brave. This is not easy.

You are deciding that you want to leave ignorance behind, and that you alone are not the only one that wants to. You are deciding to tear down those gates, to get rid of those fences of separation, to smash that glass ceiling.

You want to believe that anyone at anytime can learn anything, and the more you see it unfold in front of your eyes, the more you will come to accept it.

That anyone really can recognize their potential and act on it.

We know more than anyone else how lofty those goals are, but if we take a Patron by the hand and take the time to walk with them, they will see the good in us and they will share their good in turn.

These things take time to have. Pain takes time to mend.

But if you want to take this up, you can. We want to help. If you do, too, then join us.

Talk with us. Listen to us. We are all related, and we know it.

Contributed by BWS Johnson
University of Illinois
MLS, Class of 2003
E-mail: mhelman(at)illinoisalumni.org

Highlights of the December 2007 ILA "Reporter"

2008-01-03T22:29:00.000-06:00

Find out about five of tomorrow's library leaders by reading the article "2007 Recipients of the Sylvia Murphy Williams Scholarship Fund" in the December 2007 issue of the Illinois Library Association's Reporter. The full text of the article can be found in the archive at: http://www.ila.org/pub/reporterindex.htm. Committee Members able to attend the event at the Springfield Conference at the Rib Shack described below had the honor and privilege of meeting Scholarship recipient Robert L. Jones.

Front Row: Sharon Higher, Director of the Shorewood-Troy Public Library and 2007 Chair of I-CARD; Harrish Bhatt, India Association of Greater Springfield
Back Row: Ali Khan, Executive Director of the American Muslim Council, Chicago; Vandella Brown, Illinois State Library Diversity Program and DiversiTea! Moderator; Kay Shelton, Doctoral Student, Northern Illinois University and 2008 Chair of I-CARD; Asra Yousufuddin, Adult Services Librarian, Itasca Community Library

December 2007 Reporter Forum & Committee News
Cultural and Racial Diversity Committee

Kay Shelton
Northern Illinois University

The Cultural and Racial Diversity Committee members engaged in a flurry of activities during the ILA Conference. Thanks to the thoughtfulness of ILA members buying raffle tickets in hopes of winning teapots drawn at the DiversiTea! and the generosity of librarian and recording artist Tracy Worth, we raised over $900 for the Sylvia Murphy Williams Fund! The fund provides additional scholarship money for students who earn the ALA Spectrum scholarship. Thanks to all who bought raffle tickets and to those of you who donate to the fund throughout the year!

This year’s annual DiversiTea! featured three guest speakers on Islam. Harrish Bhatt of the India Association of Greater Springfield began with a beautiful song. Asra Yousufuddin of the Itasca Community Library provided an overview of Islam through
a presentation titled “Muslims 101.” Her presentation included selections of music and stunning images of calligraphy. She is available as a guest speaker. Ali Khan, the Executive Director of the American Muslim Council in Chicago, began by talking about doing his homework in libraries in Poplar Creek and Schaumburg when he was growing up. He regularly speaks at interfaith events and described how Muslims, Jews, and Christians are “all children of Adam and Eve” and Abraham. His talk focused on the interconnectedness of the religions. [He recommended the books on Islam listed at the bottom of this blog.]

In addition to hosting the DiversiTea!, some of the committee members met ALA President Loriene Roy, who graciously found time in her busy schedule to join members for lunch. Vandella Brown, Manager of the Diversity Program at the Illinois State Library, gave an engaging workshop on diversity with audience participation. The African American Librarians of Springfield invited members to their event, “Cultural Awareness: Enhancing Libraries,” held at the Rib Shack. Tracie Hall, Assistant Dean at Dominican University, related stories from her recent trip to South Africa and reminded all who attended that what is important in life are the things we do for others, not the job titles we have. She met a group of women in South Africa who helped each other become business leaders . . . we all could do more to help others, too.

Highlights of the October 2007 ILA "Reporter"

2008-01-03T22:07:00.000-06:00

In the October 2007 edition of the Illinois Library Association publication Reporter, Committee Member Barbara Adrianopoli of the Schaumburg Township District Library wrote an excellent summary of why your library needs to hire a diverse staff, which is found below. She is also interviewed along with Committee Member Vandella Brown in an article by Suzanne Arist entitled "Success in Diversity: How Three Illinois Libraries Embrace Multiculturalism." The full text of the article by Arist can be found in the October 2007 issue archived at: http://www.ila.org/pub/reporterindex.htm.

October 2007 Reporter Forum & Committee News
Cultural and Racial Diversity Committee

Barbara Adrianopoli
Schaumburg Township District Library

REASONS FOR HIRING A DIVERSE STAFF

Diversity is not only a buzzword now but also a reality. We are a nation and a state where in many counties the “minority is now the majority.” That should be reason enough to have a diverse staff. But, there are many other advantages. I spoke with staff who are the picture of this new society. Their responses are included in this “ten reasons for hiring a diverse staff.”

1) Claudia Manriquez Baranowski gives this feedback: “A cultural and diverse staff would benefit policy decision makers in deciding on services and materials needed to benefit specific groups who use the library.”

2) Claudia and others, like Sangeeta Bhargava and Kathy Tourtelot, all said that staff that speak their native language along with English can help non-English speakers who are limited in their verbal English skills with all the services of the library.

3) The staff member who wears the hijab (Muslim woman’s scarf ) offers a comfort level to fellow Muslim women.

4) Hiring staff who reflect the community often brings in an increase of users. It is often good for staff to test this statement by walking into a completely different community’s
business establishment or public building and feel the hesitancy that comes over you.

5) Helen Stewart, a British national, says, “It’s hard to get taken seriously in reference interviews when you aren’t American.”

6) Helen adds that “diverse hiring practices allow you to think outside the box.”

7) The staff and the public both benefit from hiring people from various ethnicities, nationalities, personalities, and ages. We learn from each other. A teen who is into the 2.0 era teaches us the virtual world. The teen is next year’s referendum voter.

8) Some of the older staff members probably marched in the civil rights movement or anti-war marches or fought in the war or fought for breaks in the glass ceilings. This
time it is just a different march, but one for freedom and equality.

9) “Different cultures and races have different mannerisms and different ways of conducting themselves in a given situation,” says Sangeeta. Learning these differences helps us in our interaction and expectations.

10) And on a lighter note, Sangeeta says, “If you are fortunate, you may get to sample ethnic food and receive gifts from a foreign country.”

At the end of each day, the only important matter is that we have helped bring the library’s mission to those we met. The library is truly the place everyone should find refuge, knowledge, and enrichment.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service

2007-12-29T09:22:00.001-06:00

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday on January 21, 2008 can become a day of service for you, your library, or your local community. To find out more about it, please go to the U.S. Government's Web site about it at: http://www.mlkday.gov/. There are plenty of resources, descriptions of projects, and links for opportunities to volunteer in local areas.

Diversity Resources

2007-12-12T20:35:00.000-06:00

There are some books listed at the bottom of this page. Please feel free to submit titles to add to the recommended resources and/or submitting reviews or descriptions those resources.

Wanted: Others who would like to post main entries! This can be done in two ways:

1.) You can set up an account through Blogger. It is not difficult; just follow the instructions! A knowledge of HTML is not required. Then please send an e-mail to: kayshelton(at)hotmail.com so I can add you to the blog. A Blogger account is free and those who would like to post main entires will appear as Team Members.
or
2.) Just write what you would like posted with a subject line and e-mail it to: kayshelton(at)hotmail.com and I should be able to post it for you.

Of course, anyone can post comments to posts.

Wanted: Comments on Camile Alire and Jacqueline Ayala's Serving Latino Communites: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will be the featured speaker at the ALA Midwinter Conference in January of 2008. Wanted: Comments on any of the books he wrote. Wanted: Comments on whatever he discusses at the ALA Midwinter for those of us who cannot go.

Wanted: Comments on any of the chapters in "Diversity Now" edited by Teresa Y. Neely and Kuang-Hwei (Janet) Lee-Smeltzer

When the Shark and the Fish First Met, a story of tolerance written by an Israeli boy, who grew up and is currently held captive. Click the link to read about Gilad Schalit and his story of tolerance here: http://habanim.org/en/gilad_story_en.html

Funding Your Education in Library Science

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Money should not be a barrier for you to follow your dreams. College is an investment for your future. There are resources available for students at any level to find financial help. Besides the financial aid process completed through the college of your choice, there are scholarships available:

Spectrum Scholarship: This is the American Library Association's (ALA) scholarship for ". . . students from under-represented groups American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students." The scholarship is for students attending an eligible university offering a master's degree in library science or for students enrolled in school library media programs for K-12 schools. There is now a program for doctorate students, too.

In Illinois, winners of the Spectrum Scholarship become eligible to receive a scholarship award through the Sylvia Murphy Williams Fund. There is no separate application process for the award. For more information on the Fund, please visit the Illinois Library Association Web site.

The ALA also offers a variety of research grants.

For students interested in a career in archives, the Midwest Archives Conferences offers the Archie Motley Memorial Scholarship for Minority Students. Please visit their Web site for more information.

For those interested in academic libraries, there is a Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois Program.

For general scholarships, try the FastWeb scholarship search database. It is possible to set up an educational profile based on interests and receive e-mail messages when new scholarships become available.

A good time to begin looking for scholarships is one year before starting a new educational program. Scholarship deadlines vary and you will not want to miss out!

A good time to apply for financial aid through the school of your choice is February, seven months before classes start in the fall. That means not waiting until midnight of April 17th to file income taxes! February is much different than the deadlines listed on the Department of Education Web site. You will want financial aid ready when classes start. There is an online Free Application for Federal Student (FAFSA) to complete and check with the Financial Aid Office of the school of your choice to find out what they require for financial aid.

Recent Articles on Diversity

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Kim, Kyung-Sun, Ming-Hsin Chu, Sei Ching Joanna Sin, and Louise Robbins. (2007). "Recruiting a Diverse Workforce for Academic/Research Librarianship: Career Decisions of Subject Specialists and Librarians of Color." College & Research Libraries. Nov. 2007, Vol. 68, No. 6. pp. 533-552.

Neely, Teresa Y. and Lorna Peters. (2007). "Achieving racial and ethnic diversity among academic and research librarians: The recruitment, retention, and advancement of librarians of color--A white paper. College & Research Libraries News. Oct. 2007, Vol. 68, No. 9. pp. 562-565. Available online.

Full 37-page White Paper as a PDF available online.

Summary of the ACRL White Paper prepared by Dr. Julie Beth Todaro, President of ACRL called "Culture Keepers VI: Preserving the Past, Sustaining the Future" as a PDF available online

Resources on Leadership

2007-12-12T05:35:00.000-06:00

Please suggest titles for the list at the bottom of the page and please feel free to submit your own reviews and/or descriptive summaries!

Maxwell, John C. (1999). The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader: Becoming the Person Others Will Want to Follow. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc. ISBN 0-7852-7440-5. $17.99.

Committed and effective leadership will help create more welcoming, inclusive, and diverse libraries and communities. This book by Maxwell does not address diversity specifically but it is one of the best short guides on the market toward developing effective leadership. Unlike other books focusing on workplace negativity and how to deal with it his approach and the tone of his writing are positive and nurturing. For each of the twenty-one characteristics Maxwell enumerates, he presents snippets of real-world problems, the solutions, and the process by which the well-known leaders employed to solve those problems. Each chapter contains the same subheading structure and is concise. Readers could finish this book in a couple of hours and make a quick reference list of the twenty-one qualities as a reminder. One major drawback is there is no bibliography for this short guide.

Maxwell authored over two dozen books on leadership and developed multi-media materials for training. This book could serve as a stand-alone resource for people completely unfamiliar with leadership principles and crushed for time or as an introduction to Maxwell’s work.

--Kay Shelton

ALA Spanish Language Resources Discussion

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Two librarians wrote differing opinions in the November 2007 issue of “American Libraries” on whether or not libraries should purchase materials in Spanish for patrons. Todd Douglas Quesada wrote “Spanish Spoken Here: Eliminating Spanish-language fiction undermines the validity of public libraries” while Julia Stephens wrote “English Spoken Here: By creating bilingual collections, librarians are contributing to a divided America.”

Some Key Quotes by Quesada:

“I advocate open information accessibility for the millions of Latino citizens who work, pay taxes, and are library users entitled to the same rights as any other American citizen. It is antithetical to public librarianship as a profession to form a collection development policy that involves consciously alienating a portion of the community” (p. 40).

“Much of the library literature from the early 20th century encouraged the active acquisition of foreign-language materials to serve the immigrant populations—an astoundingly progressive mentality given the preoccupation then over ‘Americanzation’"(p. 42).

“Moreover, possessing a comprehensive Spanish-language collection can actually aid in attracting Latino patrons to discover lifeskills; patrons will be more exposed to these resources if they can also find a favorite author, film, or musical group in Spanish" (p. 42).

"While eliminating Spanish-language fiction from a public library’s acquisition policy may appear innocuous on the surface, a profound implication underlies such occurrences: alienating legal Latino residents and U.S. citizens from free and opinion information access” (p. 42).

“Politically manipulating a library’s collection development policy to alienate any portion of a community served is a marginalizing act, rendering the community’s library as no longer truly 'public'" (p. 44).

Some Key Quotes from Stephens:

“Libraries help maintain out American identity and unity as a nation when they stock books in our common language, which ties us together as a country and allies us with Britain, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and India” (p. 41).

“School libraries should offer these students English classes and Spanish books through interlibrary loan” (p. 43).

“School libraries can offer picture books for English learners, Latin American fiction in English, and multicultural nonfiction collections in English at middle and high school media centers” (p. 43).

“When librarians build collections by community population ratios, they give in to ethnocentric demands for diversity equality with Spanish books and websites. The English-language culture that unites us disintegrates into an array of immigrant cultures” (p. 44).

“By creating bilingual libraries, librarians are undermining the American democracy that has created on nation for all. Librarians have a duty to uphold the American way of life and save their English book and journal collections for Americans in the future” (p. 44).

American Libraries

In the inset of the articles, “American Libraries” included three Web site references:

Selecting Spanish-Language Materials for Adults is a course offered by ASCLA. Search for it at: http://www.ala.org/ascla

The link to the REFORMA organization that opposes limiting access to non-English speakers at: http://www.reforma.org

The link to WebJunction’s “Spanish Language Outreach” from OCLC is at: http://www.webjunction.org

Also, on page 44 of the issue, there is most likely a purposeful strategically placed advertisement for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services resource, “Civics and Citizenship Toolkit” available at: http://www.citizenshiptoolkit.gov.