Defining the Issue: Rural Libraries & Services to Spanish Speakers

If you don't believe in the value of a rural library please check out the "Rural Library Project." The site mentions how small and rural libraries positively impact communities across the country. To quote directly from their site, a public library can "...stabilize the population, strengthen community, improve literacy, provide internet access...", and serve as an institution devoted to "lifelong learning." For more information, please be sure to visit the following website, http://rurallibraryproject.org/.

As rural public librarians what types of resources can we utilize to engage our Spanish speakers? Do they know what types of resources and materials our library provides? What are some service models that other rural public libraries are employing to remove barriers from providing service? How can we insure that we are culturally sensitive and responsive to the needs of our Spanish speaking patrons? What are some ways that we can develop outreach programs? How do we attract non-users to the library and create an inviting and welcoming atmosphere? What if we do not currently own any Spanish language materials?  What can we do on a limited budget to better accommodate our Spanish speaking users? It is imperative to assist rural librarians in their role in providing improved access to library services for Hispanics. More importantly, what actions support an increase in public library usage by Latinos in rural communities? What are the perspectives of the Latino non-user in regards to the public library? What are some guidelines in developing and providing effective programs and services?


As Flores and Pachon explain, "libraries hold considerable potential to play an important role in enriching the lives of immigrants and assisting their integration into communities" (2008, p.1). Rural public libraries are at a crossroads in being able to recognize, address, reach out, and accommodate diverse populations. Being culturally sensitive, fostering and establishing partnerships with an extended community network, actively engaging with members of the population, proactively promoting services to Latino communities, and creating a plan of action for having all staff members actively involved with implementing programs and instituting user-friendly policies may truly allow rural librarians to be better equipped to meet the needs of the underserved. Plans, programs, and resources will evolve and grow over time as needs change.


Some barriers to service include:
-Language
-Culture
-Library policies
-Branch hours of operation
-Library environment


Learn
It is important to understand your local Spanish speaking community. Research the community and understand what nationalities are present in your rural area. Look at local, state, and federal demographics to get a better grasp of immigration trends.


Comprehend
The term "Hispanic" designates Spanish speakers and is a general term not used to define race. As Allen explains...

"An ethnically literate agency serving Hispanics will not consider the Hispanic population as one ethnic group but will recognize that although they may be unified by a common linguistic bond, there are various ethnic groups, each with its own distinctive culture and roots. The term Hispanic is currently used to  describe a diverse population including Mexicans, Mexican-Americans, Cubans, Puerto Ricans, and Central and South Americans." 

Create
Language may be one of the main barriers to providing effective services to Latino library users. If you do not have any bilingual staff or volunteers, at the very minimum, the presence of friendly and inviting non-Spanish speaking staff members may go a long way in facilitating a welcoming and responsive atmosphere. In many Latino cultures, the library is viewed as a government organization. The idea of borrowing books and attending free programs may really be vastly different from what individuals are used to in their home country.


Reach out
Go out into the community. Visit local stores, social groups, churches, restaurants. Get to know those powerful players in the Latino community that can assist in promoting library services and establishing a core network. Market by word of mouth and personally invite families to come visit the library. Explain what the library offers for all family members. Promote internet access, parenting resources, literacy, community building, fellowship with other families, advocacy, and access to educational and recreational materials.


Programs
Create kid-oriented programs that all members of a family can attend. Host a bilingual story time and recruit local mothers to read stories, taking turns in reading the books in Spanish and English to engage all those in attendance.


Evaluate
Be sure to evaluate your programs and services on a regular basis. Examine what the outcomes were for each program like changes in program attendance, library card registrations, and attitudes towards the library. Realize that it takes more than one bilingual story time to insure a continuous commitment to providing expanded services to Spanish speakers.


Education
Attend free online webinars so that you and your staff may learn fresh approaches to serving this previously underserved community. Check out some of the online resources available from other libraries. Network with other librarians that have experience working with Spanish speaking populations. Ongoing staff training is essential.


For more information please see some of the following articles listed below.


References
-Allen, A.A. (1988, Summer). Library services for Hispanic young adults. Library Trends, 37(1), 80-105.


-Alire, C., & Ayala, J. (2007). Serving Latino Communities: A How-to-Do it Manual for Librarians. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc.


-Bala, B., & Adkins, D. (2004, March/April). Library and information needs of Latinos in Dunklin County, Missouri. Public Libraries, 43(2), 119-122.


-Cramer, E. (2008, Fall/Winter). Servicios para la comunidad: Sharing the experiences of three Hispanic services librarians in North Carolina. North Carolina Libraries, 66(3/4), 53-57.


-Driver, C., & Wall, C. (2007, September/October). Spanish-speaking patrons in Kentucky's public libraries: Results of an exploratory study on services, staffing, and programs. Public Libraries, 46(5), 56-63.


-Ford, C.E., & Stephens, A. (2007). Alabama public library services to the Hispanic community. Alabama Librarian, 57(1), 6-19.


-Margolis, R. (2001, January). The best little library in Texas. School Library Journal, 47(1), 54-58.


-Marquis, S.K. (2003, March/April). Collections and services for the Spanish-speaking: Issues and resources. Public Libraries, 42(2), 106-112.


-Naylor, S., & Frey, S.M. (2006). Where cultural and information literacy meet: Serving Spanish-speaking library users in Indiana. Indiana Libraries, 25(4), 2-7.


-Snyder, T.A. (2004). Rural library services to minority populations: Case studies in the United States. Rural Libraries, 24(1), 51-63.

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.