Programming on Diversity and Services to Latinos Spices Up PLA

By Jessica Bermúdez -- Críticas, 2/6/2008

The Public Library Association (PLA) 12th Annual National Conference 2008, to be held March 25 to 29 in Minneapolis, MN, has many exciting events for those seeking new ideas for serving Spanish speakers. The 200 programs have been classified into eight tracks: Administration/Leadership, Collections/Tech Services, Facilities, Marketing, Serving Adults, Serving Youth, Staffing, and Technology.

The new Virtual Conference will allow those who can’t attend PLA to take part in panel discussions, poster sessions, interactive workshops, and chats with peers. The Virtual Conference will include interactive web casts, as well as handouts and other supporting presentation materials. (Registration for the virtual conference is available at www.placonference.org.)

Below are our picks of the PLA conference program (all locations are in the Minneapolis Convention Center, unless otherwise noted):

Tuesday, March 25 
8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. 
Spanish Language Outreach
(Note: this is a preconference program and includes an additional fee of $145 for PLA members)WebJunction’s Spanish Language Outreach preconference program promises to “equip library staff with knowledge and resources to reach out to Spanish speakers to increase their access to technology.” The workshop will provide library staff with information on understanding cultural differences through marketing techniques, technology training, partnering with local community organizations serving Spanish speakers, and the free outreach resources available on WebJunction.

Thursday, March 27 
8:30 a.m.-9:45 a.m.
Bridging the Gap: Library Services to Latinos 
(Auditorium Room)
Panelists will share the details of developing a model program aimed at diverse populations, complete with lifelong learning and literacy initiatives and arts oriented programming. 

Thursday, March 27 
8:30 a.m.-9:45 a.m.
Caught in the Middle: Immigration Controversy and Library Services
(Auditorium Room 2)
Participants will learn about the new changes in immigration laws in order to become prepare when it comes to access their local library resources and benefits. They will understand how to provide service to undocumented immigrants and see how some dedicated people are working to improve the libraries’ services.

Noon-1:45 p.m.
Children’s Author Luncheon
(Ballroom B)
(Note: Tickets to attend any meal event must be purchased by Feb 29. Meal events tickets are not sold online: for more information please visit: www.placonference.org )
The speakers this year are writer Pat Mora and illustrator Raúl Colón. Pat Mora is the author of Doña Flor and Tomás and the Library Lady. Raul Colón, who illustrated both, won the 2006 Pura Belpré Award for his illustrations in Doña Flor.

2 p.m.-3:15 p.m.
Supporting Early Literacy in Young English Language Learners: Language of the Heart @ your library
(M101)
Youth services librarians discuss how to protect the “language of the heart”—the first language a child knows—when teaching English as a second language, backed by the latest research. They’ll also share ideas for literacy story times.

Saturday, March 29 
8:30-9:45am
Materials for Our Diverse Communities: Unfamiliar Alphabets and Characters
(Auditorium Room 1)
San Francisco Public Library’s chief of tech services, Pat Fahrenthod will discuss the important changes going on in libraries as they become more culturally diverse. Downloading or displaying bibliographical information in languages different to English, especially those that use non-Roman alphabets, is a major challenge that needs a prompt solution. Participants will learn to categorize material that is not English and will learn why Unicode matters when it comes to non-Roman alphabets.