History of Rural Public Library Services

"Rural libraries are the heart of our communities..." so Susan Hildreth reported in an article from Library Journal. Public libraries, service-oriented organizations, have always existed to meet the needs of the people and have endeavored to represent viewpoints from divergent cross sections of society. What happens when the newest residents in small town America remain underserved by the community's library? It is imperative to understand that "Hispanic settlement patterns warrant attention by policymakers because they affect the well-being of both Hispanics and rural communities themselves" (Kandel & Cromartie, 2004, p. ii). 

Over the past several years, findings from the 2000 Census have established that there has been a tremendous growth in the United States' Latino population. It has been purported that Hispanics are the largest minority group in America with approximately 38 million people and are the fastest growing population, with an almost 60% increase nationwide since the early 1990s.

A recent report on immigration patterns in rural America ascertained that more than 65% of new arrivals are Latino (Jensen, 2006). Hispanics have always been a marginalized segment of the U.S. population and sheer outrage over support for Spanish language type programming and service initiatives in rural public libraries has been growing as native residents criticize librarians' efforts (Dezarn, 2008). 

Even during the 1970s, articles detailing the needs for expanding outreach efforts to Hispanic Americans have been addressed. Numerous studies have examined the multifaceted challenges that rural populations experience such as high unemployment, underemployment, lack of public transportation and access to crucial medical and social services, persistent cycles of poverty, low literacy rates, longer commutes to work, less access to broadband Internet connections, increasing housing costs, higher taxes and the influx of exurbanites into traditionally rural areas. All of these factors impact the informational needs of those residing in rural areas. As such, the rural public librarian must be able to identify and assess the needs of both library users and non-users. 

The programs, services, and collections must be all encompassing so that the informational, educational, and recreational needs of the community's residents  are represented by the library's resources. Recognizing and addressing shortcomings may "...enable the rural public library to become a more efficient disseminator of information and to enhance its role in the development of rural America" (Vavrek, 1990, p. 5). 

Many researchers agree that rural librarians stand at the forefront of providing services to Latinos and assisting with their integration into the community. Unfortunately, as Erazo and Guerena surmise, "...the scarcity of professional literature on the early history of library services to the Spanish speaking prompts the assumption that, with few exceptions, library services to U.S. Latino populations are a relatively new development" (2000, p. 139). One underlying theme is that rural public librarians must be equipped to prevent barriers in providing access to library resources. Recognizing and transforming underlying gaps in services to these populations and their under usage of the library needs to be addressed. The focus of this blog is to help identify resources and strategies that can be implemented to assist those that have frequently been underserved. 

Libraries impact lives! Librarians can and do make a difference, especially in reaching out to underserved populations. What can we do more effectively to increase the usage of library services to our Spanish speakers? What types of programs are viable in a rural library? Reaching out to all of the residents in our communities is important, even more so in rural areas where people may feel even more isolated.

Many of the articles listed below can provide somewhat of a brief historical context of rural public library services to Latinos, as well as provide information about previous case studies scattered throughout the United States. 

References:
-Alire, C., & Ayala, J. (2007). Serving Latino communities: A how-to-do it manual for librarians. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc. 
-Dezarn, L. (2008). The challenge of Latino immigration for the rural library. Bookmobile and Outreach Services, 11(1), 25-45. 
-Guerena, S., & Erazo, E. (2000, Summer). Latinos and librarianship. Library Trends, 49(1), 138-181. 
-Hildreth, S. (2007). Rural libraries: the heart of our communities. Rural Libraries, 46, 7-11. 
-Jensen, L. (2006). New immigrant settlements in rural America. 
-Kandel, W., & Cromartie, J. (2004). New patterns of Hispanic settlement in rural America. 
-Vavrek, B. (1990). Assessing the Information Needs of Rural Americans 1990. Clarion University of Pennsylvania: Center for the Study of Rural Librarianship.