Each graduate of the Master of Library and Information Science program is able to recognize and describe cultural and economic diversity in the clientele of libraries or information organizations.
Libraries and other information organizations serve a wide variety of clientele from different economic and cultural backgrounds. Information organizations not only need to serve potential users, but organizations need to be prepared for the diverse clientele that will visit and utilize their services. Whether in a public, corporate or academic setting, within any community there is a variety of populations that will utilize the information organization at any given time. Clientele includes the poor and the homeless, the disabled and mentally ill, individuals from different cultural backgrounds, such as Hispanic, Asian, Middle Eastern, and many more. Other groups include the elderly, the LGBTQ and people of color. Depending on the region and community, a wide variety of people live in the surrounding areas of the information institution. They might feel hesitant to come to utilize the available services because of a lack of outreach, perception of the institution or other reasons. As a result, information professionals need to recognize and acknowledge these diverse populations and create services and programs that reflect their needs. It is important to be aware of different populations because we want to remove barriers that prevent users from accessing information and resources. There are many diverse groups and issues that information professionals need to be aware of, but the following are a sample of some diverse groups to consider when thinking about access issues, services, and collection development. It is important to be aware that individuals are also part of diverse groups outside of these discussions.
Economic Diversity:
Economical diversity is important to look at when looking at the clientele of library or information organizations. According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2013), there are 45.3 million people in poverty. In 2014, about 578,424 individuals were homeless in a single night (Henry, M., Cortes, A., Shivji, A., & Buck, K., 2014, p. 6). These statistics indicate that libraries and other organizations need to address issues of the poor and homeless.
The poor and homeless are in urgent need of resources and access to information, but according to Gieskes (2009), the poor and homeless are an underserved population and many libraries are not aware of successful services from other libraries that address their needs. The ALA addresses the urgent need to recognize these populations in ALA Policy B.8.10 Library Services for the Poor. This policy provides objectives for libraries to help them enhance and promote services that address issues of poverty that help them meet the needs of these populations. Some issues that poor and homeless individuals and families face include:
-Library card or access policies requiring a permanent address
-Prohibitive fines, fees or other penalties or the perception that services incur fees
-Staff who are not trained in service to people who are poor or homeless or who are made uncomfortable by prejudices against people who are poor or homeless
-Limited promotion at the community centers and organizations (food banks, shelters, after-school programs), which serve people experiencing poverty or homelessness
-Limited access to the library building by either limited means of transportation or service hours
-Lack of programs or resources that address people’s experiences or current situations.
(ALA, Outreach Resources for Services to Poor and Homeless People)
It is important for information professionals to recognize user’s economic situations and create services and policies that address issues of homelessness and poverty.
Disabilities:
Another important group to discuss in relation to diverse populations that information organizations serve are the disabled. In 2010, 57.3 million people in the United States have some form of disability (Brault, 2012 p. 4). The disabled include individuals with physical impairments, mental challenges, and illnesses that present challenges in everyday activities, including access to information. The ALA also describe the disabled as a “neglected minority in the community and are severely underrepresented in the library profession (ASCLA).” It is important to understand the challenges the disabled face because information professionals need to be sensitive to accommodations. Another reason it is important is that organizations need to stay compliant with current laws, such as The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
The ALA requires that:
-Libraries must not discriminate against individuals with disabilities
–Structural barrier removed
– Ensure that individuals with disabilities have equal access to library resources
-Modifications to communications must be provided
– Print materials available in alternative formats such as large type, audio recording, Braille, and electronic formats.
The ALA Policy recommends the following services:
-Extended loan periods,
-Waived late fines
-Extended reserve periods
-Library cards for proxies
-Books by mail
-Reference services by fax or email
-Remote access to the OPAC and library resources
-Alternative formats for printed and electronic materials
-Volunteer readers and technology assistants in the library
– American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter or real-time captioning at library programs
(ALA, Library Services for People with Disabilities Policy)
The library and information organizations have a legal and social responsibility to ensure equal access to services and materials for individuals with disabilities.
The Digital Divide
One of the biggest issues that affect users from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds is the digital divide. The digital divide is the difference between those with easier access to technological tools and resources and those who struggle to access these tools and resources. The digital divide is caused by a lack of access to resources and a lack of computer and information literacy skills. When users have a lack of resources, such as poor and homeless populations, they are not able to access information in electronic formats. For example, only 25% of those with income less than $15,000 use the internet, while 67% use the internet with incomes over $75,0000 (Rubin, 2010 p. 178). They may not own devices that can access this information and as a result are unaware of electronic tools and services available. These individuals often rely on the availability of computers and wireless networks at the library because of the free access. Therefore it is important for libraries to have fair systems in place for computer usage, enough computers available and a larger bandwidth capacity. Another group affected by the digital divide is the disabled. For example, only 38% go online, compared to 68% of non-disabled individuals (Rubin, 2010 p. 178). Their disabilities may prevent them from being able to use digital resources. For example, the blind need screen readers, such as JAWS, to help them navigate the computer and the web. If this is not available to them, access is difficult. As a result, information organizations should have software installed or settings available on their computers to help users with sight and hearing issues. Information organizations should also design websites, catalogs, and multimedia with this in mind. Information organizations should consult web accessibility guidelines to help them design digital and electronic resources. There is W3C, which is an international community that helps develop web standards. There is a page available with web accessibility information at:
For libraries, the ALA provides a set of web accessibility guidelines that will help prevent access barriers with digital materials.
http://www.ala.org/ascla/asclaprotools/thinkaccessible/internetwebguidelines
Other groups, such as non-English speaking groups are also affected by the digital divide. Language and cultural barriers may prevent users from utilizing technology and asking for help. For non-English speaking individuals, it is important to have websites, catalogs, and instructions available in other languages. It is also important to be sensitive to different cultural views regarding information and technology. Additionally, it is also important to have computer literacy sessions available in other languages to help patrons feel comfortable with technology. An individual can be affected by different situations making it extremely difficult to seek digital resources and improve information literacy skills. Individuals are multi-faceted and can be impacted with various cultural and economic situations that prevent them from crossing the digital divide onto an even playing field. This requires evaluations and statistics from staff to check that the library or other information organizations are meeting the needs of the populations that come to the institution.
Competency Development:
My previous work experience prepared me to know how to recognize and work with diverse populations. Working in the Office for Students with Disabilities at my local community college for two years allowed me to learn how to interact with and understand the needs of various groups. For example, I learned how to be sensitive to the needs of others without bias or judgment, which is crucial for information professionals to understand and implement. I also learned how to communicate with others in alternative ways. For example, I learned a few signs in sign language and communicated with others using descriptive terms to describe abstract concepts, body language, handwritten notes or word documents. My experience working there allowed me to gain insights into diverse populations has helped me better assist the disabled in other work or personal situations. The insights I have gained have also transferred over into my academic career, where my coursework and discussions reflect my understandings of diverse populations.
My coursework also allowed me to expand on the personal experience I have with diverse populations. My Libr 240, Information Technology Tools and Applications, course introduced me to coding standards dealing with web accessibility and presentation. This course has allowed me to understand the data structures of the web so that I can use coding to design, create and improve websites. With this information, I also learned how access barriers can be prevented or improved with planned web design. I can use the skills I learned to help build websites that are accessible to users. Another class that has allowed me to recognize diverse learning skills is my Libr 254, course, Information Literacy. This course helped me establish skills and teaching strategies to help serve a variety of learners. I learned about presentation strategies to reach a variety of users and about providing different formats for presentations and resources. The course also helped me recognize the need to plan instruction sessions with diverse users in mind because different audiences will have different needs.
Evidence 1: Libr 240 Web Page
In my Libr 240 course, Information Technology Tools and Applications, we learned about the importance of designing web pages with accessibility in mind. We learned how to use design features to enhance usability and accessibility. When we are designing web pages it is important to keep in mind how users will be using and accessing our web pages. A great guideline to consult is W3C because it will help aid in the functionality of our web pages for users with access barriers. When designing web pages we need to be aware of the many ways users will access our pages. For example, the visually impaired rely on screen readers to help describe web pages they are accessing. These pages require knowledge of HTML code to help describe images for screen readers to read. In my Libr 240 class, I designed web pages with screen readers in mind. I attempted to make my pages as descriptive as possible using HTML. For example, any images I inserted I used descriptive tags like “title” and “alt” so that the screen reader will pick up descriptive information about the images. See Libr_240_HTML_Markup.text for an example of code. When using descriptive tags, I learned that it is important to describe images with a screen reader in mind and to also describe images within the context of my page that makes sense to users. This is important because users may lose valuable information within images if they are not described with a screen reader in mind. The HTML knowledge that I gained in this class through designing web pages will help me recognize issues with accessibility that affect the disabled community when I come across them and will give me the ability to make suggestions about improving accessibility.
Evidence 2: Libr 254 ScreenCast & Reflection
In my Libr 254, Information Literacy and Learning, course we learned about different teaching strategies that reach a diverse audience. I created a screencast talking about how to change settings in private mode using audio and screenshots. I wanted to demonstrate how to use these tools in a visual and audio format. It is important when creating teaching aids to supplement them in different formats to account for diverse learning styles. Not everyone learns the same way, so providing alternative formats is critical if we want to reach a diverse audience. Creating a screencast is also useful because it is accessible from most locations and devices. Individuals with mobility issues benefit from accessing resources available online in formats, such as screencasts. For example, if patrons have difficulty attending instructional sessions they would benefit from screencasts that cover the same materials. Another reason it is useful is that the visually impaired can listen to the audio. This requires an understanding that instructions need to be detailed enough for others with visual limitations to understand. In my screencast, I walk users through short steps on how to change their privacy settings in Google Docs. This assignment demonstrates my ability to recognize the needs of my users and to use technology to produce educational resources in a variety of formats. It also demonstrates my ability to implement learning techniques that benefit different learning styles and levels. Creating resources and educational tools in electronic and digital formats is important to information professionals because it provides another form of access for those with mobile, visual and learning barriers. As a future information professional, my current experiences creating screencasts will allow me to create them when needed to help instruct patrons on various tools and subjects.
Evidence 3: Libr 254 Observation Report
In Libr 254, I was asked to observe an instructional session at a local library. In my observation report, I looked at the types of services available for the Spanish speaking community. One of the biggest needs of my local Spanish speaking community is information and computer literacy. For the instructional session I attended, the instructional session focused on basic computer literacy skills. The session was in Spanish so that users would feel comfortable with technology. The instructor mentioned that many users feel uncomfortable because they fear they will break the computer because they don’t understand what it says or how to move it. Some users come from poor backgrounds, so the assumed repercussions for damaging equipment make them hesitant to try on their own. With this session in Spanish, it helped alleviate fears because users were able to ask questions and receive one on one support in Spanish. The attendees had a chance to watch the instructor and gain hands-on experience with support. There were also instructional packets in Spanish available for users for future reference. From my observation, I learned that instructional sessions need to be designed with diverse communities in mind and that there should be a variety of instructional formats available. This is important because language and cultural barriers can prevent users from learning how to access resources, so it is important to help users learn the skills necessary in various formats. The knowledge I gained from observing a live session is useful because I had a chance to witness how this type of instruction session is conducted for the needs of the Spanish speaking community. Being a Spanish speaker myself, in the future, I will be able to design instruction sessions in Spanish because I will be able to recognize the language and cultural barriers they face.
Conclusion:
Understanding cultural and economic diversity is important because it will help us formulate services and programs to better serve a variety of populations. It will also help us make better decisions about adjustments in our facilities when thinking about how it impacts all users. There are many different things information organizations can do to help serve the diverse populations that visit their organizations. For example, the San Francisco Library hired a social worker in 2009 to address the needs of the poor and homeless. Another example is the Pima County Public Library who hired a public health nurse in 2012 (Fox, 2015). Not all libraries and information organizations have the budget for additional staff members, but even the smallest changes implemented will help break barriers to access, help the library promote intellectual freedom and ensure equality of access.
Resources
American Library Association (ALA). (n.d.). Outreach Resources for Services to Poor and Homeless People. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/advocacy/diversity/outreachtounderservedpopulations/servicespoor
American Library Association (ALA). (n.d.). B.8 Services and Responsibilities of Libraries (Old Number 52). Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/aboutala/governance/policymanual/updatedpolicymanual/section2/52libsvcsandrespon#B.8.10
Association of Specialized & Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA). (n.d.). Library Services for People with Disabilities Policy. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/ascla/asclaissues/libraryservices
Brault, M. (2012). Americans with Disabilities 2010. Retrieved from United States Census Bureau website: http://www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/p70-131.pdf
Fox, S. (2015). From nurses to social workers, see how public libraries are serving the homeless. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/see-libraries-across-country-serving-homeless/
Gieskes, L. (2009). Why Librarians Matter to Poor People. Public Library Quarterly, 28(1), 49-57. doi:10.1080/01616840802675416
Henry, M., Cortes, A., Shivji, A., & Buck, K. (2014). The 2014 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress. Retrieved from The U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) website: https://www.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/2014-AHAR-Part1.pdf
Rubin, R. E. (2010). Foundations of library and information science. New York: Neal- Schuman.
United States Census Bureau. (n.d.). Income and Poverty in the United States: 2013 – Highlights. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/data/incpovhlth/2013/highlights.html
Assignments
LIBR 240 Homepage
LIBR 240 HTML Markup
Libr_254_Screencast_Reflection