Competency C

Preparation and Evidence

I currently work for the County of Los Angeles Library at Lynwood Library, and I have been there for four years. During my time there, I have witnessed Lynwood's population become more ethnically diverse. With over 70,000 residents, Lynwood's population includes 88% Latinos, 8.48% African American, 2.31% Caucasian, 0.7% Asian, and 0.18% Hawaiian residents (DataUSA, 2018). Although Latinos make up a large percentage of the population, my library makes every effort to address growing minorities by adding cultural programs because "growing minorities in the area represent an especially desired focus" (Becnel & Smallwood, 2013, p. 3574). For example, in the past, my library hosted a Chinese Calligraphy Program, an Origami Program, a Feng Shui Program, and most recently, a Talking Stick Program in honor of Native American Heritage Month. All programs have shown success, and as patrons inquire for similar programs, the faculty makes every effort to brainstorm new ideas to attract larger audiences of diverse backgrounds.

I benefit from working in a collaborative environment as I am given the opportunity to pitch ideas and help with programs. For example, the YA Librarian and I brainstormed several ideas for programs to host throughout the weeks approaching the Lunar New Year. Some of these ideas include DIY fortune cookies and DIY paper fans.

In addition to programs, the library staff makes every effort to address language diversity by hiring bilingual staff that can connect with community members. Being trilingual has helped me provide a better service to patrons on several occasions. For instance, during homework center hours, we sometimes receive children that only speak Spanish, so I translate homework assignments and explain to them in Spanish how to solve the problems or find the answers. As a passport agent, I can inform patrons about the requirements in Spanish and guide them as they fill out the application. In the past, I conversed with a patron in Italian as I helped them search for items. For the hearing-impaired, our circulation supervisor has taught us some phrases in American Sign Language so that we can communicate with them as they return or check out items. Other library staff members speak Vietnamese and Tagalog which enhances the language diversity that is available at my branch.

Lastly, in my library, you will find a Spanish Collection for both children and adults to address the needs of the Latino community. The County of Los Angeles Library also has online materials available in multiple languages to address the needs of growing minorities.

Working in this environment while taking INFO 275 Library Services in Diverse Communities and INFO 266 Collection and Connection Development allowed me to make the connections between my work experience and topics learned regarding cultural competency. My library and the county offer many resources that demonstrate cultural fluency which aids my understanding of the subject.

Taking INFO 275 Library and Services in Diverse Communities and INFO 266 Collection and Connection Development at the same time guided my knowledge and understanding of cultural competence. These courses made me aware of how libraries address ethnicity and diversity issues in their community, and it exposed me to a new world of library science. After taking these courses, I recognize how my library can address and improve cultural competency.

I have selected four items, a combination of assignments from both courses, that demonstrate my understanding of cultural competence. Throughout most of the program, I had focused my studies on Lynwood Library, and I was going to do so again in INFO 266 Collection and Connection Development because it was what the professor had requested. For INFO 275 Library and Services, I had the desire to focus on a different library, so some of the assignments I have chosen for this section will focus on the Graham Library. The Graham Library is a sister branch of the County of Los Angeles and serves surrounding cities, and although there might exist many similarities to my library, it is the differences that count.

Skill Builder #2 is an assignment prepared for INFO 275 Library Services in Diverse Communities, to prompt students in adopting an active role where they investigate the economic diversity of a library or information organization and address issues that will lead to a course of action. I chose this assignment as a piece of evidence for this competency because it addresses part of the definition for Competency C, diversity is a crucial component in libraries because it is present in our faculty and the patrons we serve. For this assignment, I studied the economic-diversity at the Graham Library located in Florence-Graham and learned that the location of the library is in an equitable area and their programs are directed more towards the youth, children, and parents. To think of a library in terms of equity is something I have never done before, and here I was learning about what it means to be in an equitable location. Equitable locations refer to communities where there is economic and social diversity and express a need for programs and services. In the modern world, libraries are pushing for equitable locations, as they demonstrate promise not only for themselves but for the community as well. The Graham library's location ensures visibility and access, serving a population of 63, 000 and neighboring cities that exceed that populous quota.

As I continued my research on the economic diversity of Florence-Graham, I learned that the poverty rate is 31.5%, the manufacturing industry is the leading industry in this city, and men serve in the lead for most employed. The poverty rate is exceedingly high, and it is in these communities where libraries strive. Libraries have the potential to offer resources and educative opportunities where economic hardships are at a rise. There has been a slight increase in household incomes over the last few years; however, the library could do more for the community by structuring programs that address the poverty rate in this city. As suggested in my piece, the library could host programs that inform patrons about job opportunities or teach them how to write a resume to expand targeted audiences and make the library much more inclusive while addressing socio-economic conditions. Earlier I referenced how more men are in the workforce than women. Studies show that the County of Los Angeles hires more women than men, which was an interesting fact when compared to the communities statistics. When I visited the library, I did note that there were more female than male employees, and I believe this statistic could be used to the libraries advantage. Perhaps the library could assemble a program that targets women into joining the workforce to increase labor diversity. Nonetheless, there are many opportunities for this library to engage and access cultural competence.

Skill Builder #3 focused on creating a book bundle that reflects either language diversity, cultural diversity, or any subject related to the theme of this course. For Skill Builder #3 I chose to create a book bundle that focused on the topic of immigration. 31.1% of Florence-Graham's population are non-U.S. citizens, and a large percentage of the population is foreign-born. In the past, sister libraries have held programs that educate the public on how to obtain citizenship status for this country. The Graham Library would benefit from hosting a similar program, considering it has a large percentage of immigrant residents. A book bundle that focuses on this topic is a great way to create awareness and demonstrate cultural competence.

To briefly summarize, a book bundle refers to a selection of books that focus on a similar topic. As mentioned, I created a book bundle that focused on immigration. I wanted the book bundle to speak to multiple audiences, so I selected books for children, young adults, and adults. I recall encountering many problems for this assignment. The number of books on the topic was not limited; however, many of the books I wanted to include for this book bundle were not at this location. I felt that this was a problem not necessarily for my assignment but for the community. I think it is crucial for new generations to learn and understand the hardships of their ancestors, or for adults to find information regarding political initiatives that might affect their community, friends, and family. The County of Los Angeles had many ebooks available in OverDrive, but OverDrive materials would not satisfy the goal of this project. I searched for hours trying to find items in this library. In the end, I was able to locate twelve books from this location and two from a nearby branch. The sister branch libraries have a broader selection of books; however, it was crucial to analyze the collection in this library and note if they had books relevant to the community and my area of focus.

Another problem I encountered was with the materials themselves. Although more than three-fourths of the population is of Latino descent, there exists a percentage that requires just as much attention. Many of the books available at this library for my book bundle had Latino characters on the cover, which has both pros and cons. The advantage is that these items may provide a sense of familiarity with the cultural group that makes up a large sum of the population. The drawback of this situation is that fewer books that represent other cultures are available for the public and other cultural groups. In total, there were less than five books in my book bundle that focused on a group other than Latino. In the last months, it has come to my attention that there has been an increase in growing minorities in our population. Libraries need to address cultural diversity to provide an inclusive and welcoming environment for all. Analyzing the pros and cons of my book bundle taught me that the collection development could do more to address cultural diversity in our community.

In Skill Builder #4 students created a culturally responsive subject guide, and I chose to create a libguide on Latin American Art. The libguide exhibits a collection of diverse materials related to the subject of Mexican and Latin American artists. When you visit the homepage, you will find sample books for all grade levels, sample databases, ebooks, media, and the library website. I also incorporated links to museums, databases, artists, and the Chicano resource center to encourage students to adopt an active and participatory role with their research topic. Educational centers are exceptional for making education fun, particularly for younger students.

The libguide is designed to aid students in their research and understanding of the topic. I included bilingual materials to address language diversity since there exists a small percentage of students that only speak Spanish. I included adult materials for university students and parents interested in learning about the subject with their children, or the public in general. The added resources provide opportunities for adults or parents to engage with the content as they aid the student in their research. I wanted my subject guide to be inclusive of all ages, and I believe I achieved my goal.

I had fun creating the libguide because it was a task I had never done before. Coming up with a concept was hard, and what propelled me to choose Latin American artists are the murals found throughout the city. The library's exterior has many murals paintings as well, thus providing a representation of the community it serves. The mural paintings tell a story and represent a sense of culture that exists within the city, and many times these murals are overlooked. At the beginning of this course, I attended a YA program at Graham Library that taught young adults how to paint. Art is a great way to represent and learn about cultures; most importantly they also serve as channels that allow us to reconnect with our own culture or diverse groups. Children and people, in general, need more artistic exposure.

As noted in my paper, I envision the subject guide used in academic settings, satisfying common core standards. The subject guide promotes the Graham Library and the County of Los Angeles by listing the resources that are available to the community. Libraries are not a house for books, but rather an educative center that seeks to satisfy all educational curiosities. The County of Los Angeles Library understands there is cultural diversity within the system and offers a variety of books, programs, and services in multiple languages. I decided to focus on the Latino community because as mentioned, art is a significant element for studying cultural diversity, and there is Latin American everywhere throughout the city.

The fourth piece of evidence comes from INFO 266 Collection and Connection Development. Presentation 1 was designed to introduce students to the collection, programs, and services offered by the library, the community, and propel us to think about non-users. Aspects we needed to analyze for this assignment included economic diversity. There are over 70, 000 residents in Lynwood and 80% are Latino. This city has the highest poverty rate despite being a city with multiple job opportunities, and there are more males in the workforce than women. These statistics are very similar to those of Florence-Graham. As I was starting the semester, I did not include enough in regards to attracting growing minorities, but it is clear that more could be done to address these users. As I thought about the non-users, I focused heavily on the type of services the library offered. Many of the library programs focused on the younger public such as homework center, storytime, and Makmo programs, and very few focused on adults. I suggested that more could be done to attract adult patrons. The library is an educational center for all and not a specific age group.

In the past, adults have shown interested in learning how to use technology or speak English. However, the library has not met their demands. Although the library has addressed language diversity through its bilingual staff, the community has expressed that this is not enough and it is understandable. They cannot bring the staff members out into the world to translate for them, so I understand the need and desire to learn English and ask for ESL classes. As the number of growing minorities continues to grow, aggregating ESL classes could help bring diverse cultures together and break current language barriers.

As I review the assignments used to fulfill my understanding of Competency C, I realize now the Presentation 1 could address more in regards to economic diversity, specifically in cultural and gender diversity. The statistics presented demonstrate that there has been an increase in the job market, and perhaps this will help decrease the poverty rate. However, this is an area that the library may also want to consider.

Future Applications

As a person of color that grew up in an underserved population, I understand the struggles that some of our patrons face. A library can make a difference, especially for students that do not have access to materials or technology or parents that do not have access to funds to cover a tutoring expense. Through my work experience, I witness first-hand the struggles our patrons endure. Our knowledge of our collection, programs, and resources aids the community in many ways. In regards to cultural competence, I did not realize how much my library does to address cultural and diversity issues. And despite their efforts, after taking this course, I can also identify gaps that exist in my library that do not address cultural competency.

In our children's area, there is a bookshelf intended to display items. In the last couple of months, I have selected picture books that address feminism, segregation, diversity, etc. When we completed the book bundle assignment, I realized that this bookshelf would serve as the ideal place to display book bundles that reflect cultural diversity, gender diversity, and related topics. It is crucial that this library display item that represents characters of diverse backgrounds to address the growing population of minorities in our community. Other suggestions would include the integration of web-based tools to assist with language diversity. In the past, there have been language barriers between staff members and Armenian families. Using technology tools such as Google translate could help us communicate efficiently and effectively with groups where language barriers exist. The library acknowledges that a majority of its population is of Latino descent and addresses language diversity by printing information in Spanish. However, the library also needs to address growing populations. As a future librarian, I would address cultural competence by integrating web-based tools and making information available in at least three languages to assist with language diversity.

In conclusion, I know that I can transfer my skills and knowledge of the subject in future opportunities because I have demonstrated cultural competency in my current position. As noted earlier, I collaborate with librarians to brainstorm new ideas for cultural programs. I can communicate with the public in multiple languages and address their information needs. When I do come across language barriers, I remain quiet and attentive to put in my best effort in understanding what the patron is requesting. In the future, I would like to use web-based tools to address language diversity. In the children's area, I select items that represent diversity to display on the shelf. I inquire about past collaborations that address diversity issues to make much-needed resources available again. I plan to take these experiences and what I have learned to new communities. As a Library Aide, I have exceeded the job limitations to learn and prepare in becoming a future librarian, and I believe that my knowledge and skills addressing cultural competency bring closer to the goals I intend to achieve as a future librarian.