CARL Conference 2008 – “Going Global: Academic Libraries at the Age of Globalization” Providing Bilingual Library Services in a Multicultural campus Valeria E. Molteni Assistant Professor at the Library Leo F. Cain University Library California State University Dominguez Hills

Presentation overview Diversity in Academic Libraries Demographic changes in Higher Education CSU Dominguez Hills Bilingual Services Methodology Preliminary conclusions

“Transform places into spaces and spaces into places” de Certeau, M. (1984). The Practice of Everyday Life. Berkeley: University of California.

Diversity in Academic Libraries Rapidly changing community, diversification: –Students –Staff –Faculty –Areas of study How to address diversity in the Academic Library environment? –Collections –Programming –Staffing –Services

Demographic changes in Higher Education Demographic Changes in US Latino population in USA, million persons Difference47% Source: US Bureau of Census, 2001, 1991

CSU Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA Carson South Bay of Los Angeles County Southern California Educates an ethnically diverse student population

CSU Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA 39.7% Latino 31.1% African American 18.2% White 10.6% Asian 0.4% American Indian Source: CSUDH - Office of Institutional Research, Assessment and Planning

CSUDH Student characteristics Large percentage of full time workers First generation of university students

CSUDH Student characteristics Non-places within the Academic Campus. Lack of confidence using libraries They do not see the Library as a institution within the University Campus

Bilingual Services: Development of the strategy Spanish Heritage Language Speaker students do not always perceive academic libraries as being an integral part of their lives. Thus, they often associate Spanish as the language of private interactions and English as the language of learning.

Bilingual services: Development of the strategy To challenge this dichotomy, –the librarian uses bilingual library services in Spanish and English as an intrinsic component in building a relationship with these specific students and faculty.

Strategy and outcomes –The strategy of using a familiar language from their home environment during reference interactions produces an atmosphere enhancing the students’ receptivity to the acquisition of new knowledge. –On the practical level, these bilingual interactions will ensure that interview techniques correctly identify specific information needs.

Bilingual services within University Library Reference desk Spanish language responses Library Flyers in Spanish Language Bibliographic Instruction classes Classes Spanish language presentations in the Modern Languages Department (former Foreign Languages Department) Evaluations

Outcomes Teaching in the Modern Languages Department: –Students are able to experience the use of formal oral and written Spanish language in an academic setting outside of the classroom. –Future collaboration with CSUDH faculty in Modern Languages Department to ensure the use of Spanish inside and outside the classroom in order to support and enhance the demands of their courses.

Evaluation of this experience Methodology: –Assessment of Bilingual Services at the Reference Desk (Gremmels and Shostrom Lehmann, 2007) –Design of a survey to apply in the bibliographic Instruction classes

Research in progress: Survey Survey which is expected to show that Reference and instruction sessions in English and Spanish increase positive academic learning experiences with Spanish heritage language students.

Research in progress: Bilingual services at the Reference Desk Complete a short survey after the Reference service (Gremmels, Gillian S. and Shostrom Lehmann, Karen (2007). –Fall 2008

Research in progress – Survey Design of the survey: –Assessment and measure of this experience Ethnicity Level of proficiency in Spanish language Academic library services –use of research databases –Like/dislikes of bilingual library services. –effective use of search strategies using research databases –what do students like/dislike about bilingual library services.

Research in progress – Survey Ethnicity –Latino –African American –Asian –White –Other Gender –Female –Male Age –18-25 –25-29 –30-39 –40-49 –50-59 –60-69

Research in progress – Survey Level of proficiency in Academic Spanish language –Home Spanish - No academic skills in Spanish –Academic skills in Spanish Where did you learn to write in Spanish? –Home –School –Church –Other places. Please specify Did you use the library before your University experience? –Public Libraries –School libraries –Other academic libraries.

Research in progress – Survey Use of Academic Library services –Have you ever used some or all of these services? –Finding books from the Library –Finding books from another Library (LINK +) –Finding full text articles through the library databases –Finding full text articles through the Interlibrary Loan Services –Using Research databases

Research in progress – Plan –Authorization from CSUDH Office of Research and Funded Projects (IRB Review) –Implementation of the survey –Expected date: Fall 2008

Preliminary conclusions How to increase the information literacy? –Increase the use of the library services by enhancing the students confidence with the Library as a place in the campus. Goal of these services –Create an confidence environment that enhance the learning process Incorporate the Spanish also as a language of learning and acquisition of acknowledge

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