One of the most important things I’ve personally learned in Library school so far is that judgment is a very bad thing. This should be common sense and I’ve always thought of myself as non-judgmental but perhaps it was naïve to think everyone would be this way. The library I currently work in, Library X, is a public library that serves a very diverse population. There are refugees who relocate to the surrounding area from countries such as Iran and Afghanistan. There is also a significant inner city population that comes to use the Internet and very rarely check books out.
One girl, I’ll call her Alice, hangs out at the library almost every day for hours. She’s a young African-American female and is particularly fond of one of the children’s librarians. Alice will sit by the librarian’s desk and talk to her and even helps out on occasion when the librarian can find her something to do. This situation has caused some issues with other members of the staff, especially senior staff members. They see Alice’s presence as a nuisance and will sometimes snap at her to move or get out of their way. I do believe that her being African-American has nothing to do with the attitudes but mostly the fact that she’s young. It’s still a problem because library workers should be non-biased toward all patrons, regardless of race, gender or age.
While reading Brian Soneda’s article, “Diversity: try standing in their shoes” he describes being at a conference panel about helping diverse patrons. One of the speakers, Sayumi Irey identified some common myths people have about non-English speakers, “’English is superior to any other language” and, “If you speak really loudly and really slowly, people who understand no English will understand you.’” In the short time I’ve worked at Library X, I can definitely say that I have experienced both myths from my co-workers.
The interesting and sad part about this is that libraries in general should be places the entire community should feel welcome in and be able to use. I firmly believe that prejudice should be kept out of libraries. Librarians should be able to help all patrons with any request, no matter how small or easy they think it should be.
So, as future librarians, are they any moments you can think of where it’s been hard to relate to someone who doesn’t speak English? Where do you see Multiculturalism and Diversity fitting into the library settings? If you were a library director and one of your staff members seemed to treat people of a certain race, gender or age differently, would you say something?
Source:
Soneda, B. (2005) “Diversity: Try Standing in Their Shoes” New York: The H.W. Wilson Company.
10 comments:
I see multiculturism and diversity fitting into all aspects of libraries. Your collections need to reflect the diversity of your community and their wants and needs. You need to have materials in foreign languages as well as materials that are aimed towards people learning English as a second language. Our country is getting more and more diverse and as librarians we need to show that we embrace the diversity of our patrons and that we want them to be comfortable and to see the libaray as a place for them.
For 6210 I observed at a library that has a large ESL community that seems to keep growing. The head of adult reference noticed this change and is gorwing their collection in this direction. They have a computer in a study room that is used specifically to teach English to ESL learners as well as increasing the number of ESL books and materials to help their patrons learn. They have a very small budget so the reference librarian is incorporating books that other libraries were discarding. She realizes the needs of their community can be served by these older materials.
It is important to take into account the diverse needs of a multicultural community so that you can provide the best possible service to your clients.
I agree with you, Liz. I also see multiculturalism and diversity beginning with attitudes of the employees and patrons. As I stated in my post, the library I work at has a large population of refugees and other races. We don't have a great selection of ESL books but it is growing. I think it is very important to build up the rapport with patrons and let them have a say in the collection.
It is important for librarian’s to remain neutral within the library. Many times our personal beliefs and convictions may not agree with all the material and information provided by our organizations. However, we need to put aside our own beliefs and help others seek the information they need. For example, refrain from talking about politics at work. If a patron overhears your point of view on a particular politician or party, they may not feel like they can trust you to help them locate information on politics because they may feel that your vision is biased.
In your library's case certain staff members have obviously forgotten how much impact a mentoring relationship can have on a youth. I applaude the children's librarian for giving this girl a chance to help out, and a chance to be taught. I think libraries would benefit both themselves and the community if they offered a program where youth could either shadow or volunteer along side librarians.
You raised some very interesting points with your post. In particular for me I could appreciate the significance of the story you shared about Alice and senior staff members at Library X. And I liked the conclusion that you came up with at the end, that it wasn't Alice's African American status, but her age that seemed to raise objections from the senior staffers.
This is something that I think is very relevant for young professionals entering any field. Especially if the professional in question looks much younger than s/he is. Senior Staffers, despite either person's professional status within the organization do tend to still treat younger staff members in a manner that communicates their age and experience trumps some of the observations, points, or ideas of the younger staff member.
Which is not to discount experience, because there's no more vital aspect to a profession than that, but it becomes a daunting prospect for younger staff members who continually receive this treatment that their thoughts and opinions simply don't matter unless they overtly exert their intentions and that just opens a whole other bucket of worms.
Age is oftentimes overlooked within the Multicultural world and I think it was brilliant of your group to recognize it as an important factor that not only affects how librarians interact with patrons, but how it can also communicate within a professional work structure.
That's exactly what I was thinking, Casey. I know that with any job, employees are going to talk about problem customers and things like that. But when it gets to the point of saying things about customers/patrons specifically because of their age, race or sex, there's a huge problem. I think it is really important to be aware of how certain patrons are treated, especially going into a public library setting. The library is a place where EVERYONE should be welcome and not have to earn the trust.
I feel the library director would be obligated to speak with the employee. However, these are feelings and beliefs that are deeply ingrained that I highly doubt a discussion would be able to change. But this really isn't the field for someone who is so narrow-minded. Library staff must make an equal attempt to serve every patron that enters the library. For instance, I have seen co-workers not offer a patron the service of an ILL when normally they would to a favorite patron. I have to stay, this sort of thing really infuriates me- and that is putting it politely.
I have had young people who have befriended me and would spend time chatting with me and/or asking if I had anything for them to do- the problem here is that the relationship is important, but alternatively, it is very time-consuming while you are on the clock. You have an obligation to be helping out your co-workers and helping other patrons. Perhaps this is a good relationship to establish in a mentoring way, then maybe they need to meet up after she is off work, in a public place- i.e. a corner of the library to read together, play a game, work a puzzle, etc.
If I had a staff member that treated people unfairly for such reasons I would remind them of the librarian's code of ethics. Librarians are to offer services to all there are no restrictions. This is why educating diversity in libraries is important. When staff understand the differences in their community they can better serve the people and by doing this they are offering their services to all.
I work with the public, so naturally, there is a lot of diversity. And we have begun to see many of our litigants come in who do not communicate in standard English. As times are rough economically speaking, some have begun to attempt self-representation, which can further complicate things since it is already difficult to discuss legalese. The latest movement in law has been to move to a plain English standard, although it is still difficult for long-time practitioners to convert to this system. But it is certainly gaining in popularity and is all but non-existent with today's lawyers. In addition, the Court provides interpreters for persons in all sorts of languages, including Spanish, Arabic, ASL, Chinese--you name it. I think our staff recognizes the extreme difficulty for non-English speakers to come to Court and try to deal with these difficult issues. I also try to think, what would I do if I were in this situation. I once had to help interpret for a German friend at the hospital when her son was sick--she was scared and frustrated. So I think the best practice is to maintain professionalism by not getting frustrated, being as helpful as we can, and being courteous to others regardless of our differences. I think this can be applied across the board, no matter the profession, and certainly is applicable to a library setting. And certainly, I do believe in this profession, we would welcome other cultures and the opportunities we can provide to others to learn.
When I was in grade school (1960's - yeah I'm old!), one of my teachers showed extreme prejudice against people from the South. My family moved to Michigan when I was 4 years old, so I still had southern accent when I began school. This teacher would stand behind me as I read aloud and tug my hair and pinch my cheek as she correct my pronunciation. As a shy child, this was devastating. As I progressed through the grades, the most disappointing characteristics I found in certain teachers, was their tendency to develop class favorites, or allow their prejudices against certain students show. I believe that everyone in the information profession (as in the teaching profession) has the responsibility to be impartial when dealing with those seeking their help. My experiences with those teachers colored my view of what being a responsible, compassionate human being should entail. Sometimes I think about how difficult it would be for me to live and work in a country where English is not the primary language, and I gain a new respect for those brave enough to come to this country. I know how I felt coming to a new place within the U.S., and having a negative experience with someone I should be able to trust, and cannot image the difficulties those from other countries face. Many of the catalogers, programmers, and librarians I work with are from other countries, including China, Russia, Serbia, India, and Afghanistan. There can be some language barriers, and it can be embarrassing to ask someone to repeat themselves, but everyone tries to keep a good sense of humor about it. Respecting and embracing cultural diversity is the key, whether in the workplace, school, or in a library setting. In fact, the library should be one of the most welcoming resources for the diverse population of this country to turn to, and its services must reflect that diversity.
The example of “Alice” is a touching one. If this girl is hanging out at the library for hours, there's likely a reason beyond the love of books. She has found a positive influence in the librarian that should be fostered. It is possible that she could be escaping a troubled home life or negative influences. Maybe she has no one at home, or just feels safe there. Having the librarian as a mentor could give her direction and save her from going down the wrong path in life. The same senior staff librarians who dislike her hanging around would complain louder if she became a delinquent on the streets. They remind me of those who say “we must build more low income housing (or prisons) ... but not in my back yard.” Maybe they are concerned that the librarian’s work is being affected. Naturally, the children's librarian must meet the needs of all patrons and her job, but the senior staff should not lose sight of the human side of the profession, and see what they too can do for the girl. Librarians should aspire to remain neutral and treat each individual with respect and compassion. I would definitely speak to a librarian I have witnessed being disrespectful to any patron, to remind them that they way we treat people can have a significant impact, especially if they are in a more vulnerable position in life.
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