A Peek at ALA

This summer, the Spanish-language agenda is packed

By María Elena Cruz -- Críticas, 6/1/2007

The 2007 Annual Conference of the American Library Association (ALA) will be held in Washington, DC, June 21–27, 2007, in the Washington Convention Center. It offers a comprehensive program to librarians who serve the Latino community. Here is a selection of the must-go-to activities—many organized by REFORMA (National Association To Promote Library Services to the Spanish Speaking).

Saturday, June 23

Serving Spanish Speakers with Disabilities (8–10 a.m.)
Libraries are enhancing services to Spanish speakers, but there is a part of this population whose information needs have yet to be met. Librarians and vendors will share guidelines for collection development, assistive technology, and staff awareness training to better serve Spanish speakers with disabilities.

2007 Diversity and Outreach Fair (3–5 p.m.)
Library professionals can seize the opportunity to share information about their successful outreach projects. The winner of the scholarship for past participants in WebJunction’s Spanish Language Outreach workshops will be explaining how to successfully implement an outreach project to Spanish speakers.

Sunday, June 24

Libraries, Immigrants and the American Experience (10:30 a.m.–noon)
Plummer Alston Jones, editor of Libraries, Immigrants, and the American Experience (Greenwood, 1999), will provide a historical overview of library services to immigrants, followed by presentations from immigrants from diverse backgrounds who will speak about how American libraries have empowered immigrants, refugees, and minorities.

English Only: Censorship and Its Impact on Latino Children and Young Adults in School and Public Libraries (1:30–3 p.m.)
This presentation will address the critical need for librarians to learn how to confront English-only initiatives that result in censorship and its impact on first-language acquisition, literacy, and collection development.

Monday, June 25

Cultural Competence: Bridging the Gap Between What We Say and What We Do (1:30–3 p.m.)
Speakers will take a look at cultural competence as an integral part of service delivery, workforce equity, and leadership development.