Reaching Spanish-speaking Agricultural Communities
Originally presented on November 10, 2009.
Spanish-speakers working in agriculture communities are looking to their libraries and other community technology centers for public access to computers. But like the recent Latinos and Library Perceptions Report confirms, there's more to be done to reach out to these communities. Join special guests, Patricia Rempel, PhD, Reference and Collections Librarian at Coutts Education Library, University of Alberta and José Garcia, Teen and Reference Services Librarian, King County Library System and NW REFORMA Past President, in this this free webinar archive as they share insights from research on perceived usages of community public access computers by Spanish-speakers in rural Washington gathered through interviews with information professionals. The presentation includes real life examples of library usage in these communities as well as the direct results of the outreach efforts of the libraries studied.
Archive viewing options:
- View in Wimba Classroom (combined archive of audio, slides and chat)
- View the slides (png)
- View Chat log (xls)
Additional Information on WebJunction:
Links shared in Webinar:
- Radio KDNA, a full-time educational Spanish language public radio station in the Yakima Valley, WA
- ConAgra Foods Careers
- Tyson Careers
- Full Circle Farm Partners
- Rural Community Development Resources
- Video: Small Farms-WSU in Partnership with Hispanic Farmers
- CONEVyT Plaza Comunitarias
- Broetje Orchards
- Bethany Children of the Valley after school program
References from Dr. Rempel's research:
Dervin, B. (1999). Chaos, order, and sense-making: A proposed theory for information design. In R. E. Jacobson (Ed.), Information design (pp. 35-57). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Lin, N. (2001). Social capital: A theory of social structure and action. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.
Schein, E. H. (2004). Organizational culture and leadership (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Van Slyck, A. A. (1995). Free to all: Carnegie libraries & American culture 1890-1920. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Schön, D. A. (1963). Invention and the evolution of ideas. London: Tavistock Publications.
Kuhlthau, C. C. (2004). Seeking meaning: A process approach to library and information services. (2nd ed.) Westport, CN: Libraries Unlimited.
Livingstone, D. W. (1999). Exploring the icebergs of adult learning: Findings of the first Canadian survey of informal learning practices. Canadian Journal for the Study of Adult Education, 13(2), 49-72.
Lorenzen, M. (1999). Deconstructing the philanthropic library: The sociological reasons behind Andrew Carnegie's millions to libraries. Illinois Libraries, 81(2), 75-78.
Bertot, J. C., & McClure, C. R. (1998). The 1998 national survey of public library outlet Internet connectivity: Summary results. Washington, DC: American Library Association.
Bertot, J. C., & McClure, C. R. (1999). U.S. public library outlet internet connectivity: Progress issues and strategies. Library & Information Science Research, 21(3), 281-298.
Monkman, K. L. (1999). Transnational migration and learning processes of Mexican adults constructing lives in California. International Journal of Educational
Spink, A., & Cole, C. (2001). Information and poverty: Information-seeking channels used by African American low-income households. Library & Information Science Research, 23, 45-65.
Argyris, C., & Schön, D. A. (1998). Organisational learning II. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Voices from participants in Dr. Rempel's research:
- "If you have unlimited funds, you can have as much access as you need, but still it’s more challenging.” Among the additional challenges were “to get a phone line or additional phone line. You need to be even more sophisticated in having technology that’s satellite based. There are areas where unless you have cable you don’t have any TV stations at all."
- For adult patrons, more particularly those who are older, "there are a lot of people who would benefit from it and who know that they have that opportunity here, but because they are intimidated by the technology, they never come in and give it a chance."
- An Anglo informant provided insight into how these factors impact daily life and middle-class notions of ‘free’ or leisure time: The Hispanic population doesn’t really have that much leisure time. I don’t think they have leisure time basically. … A lot of their time is spent working. The wife works, the man works. One works the day shift, and one works the night shift. And what there is is involved with family: "Let’s go see if Grampa is okay. Let’s go visit Aunt Beth across the street or somebody." I mean, it’s all very busy. We’ve had a lot of Hispanic kids work for us, and they’re all very involved in family. And I don’t think they have any leisure time either.
- Many of the Spanish-speaking families in the Yakima Valley who work in agriculture are, in the words of another informant, "people with an inexhaustible supply of dignity and patience. They have come up here to do an honest day's work. They're not getting an honest day's pay. They're sure as hell not getting an honest day's respect. And yet they stay because it's better than where they were, and they're willing to deal with anything that comes up for their children's sake. What could be more the American dream than that? ...they are coming in for the sake of their children. This is what it's all about."
- In rural areas the library informants saw "a lower level of understanding about what is available and what is out there and what they could be doing with all these new tools that are becoming available." The informants noted that staff may end up teaching students technology skills that, "were they in any of the schools in the city, they would have learned in school."
Additional Research:
- Fisher, K. E.(2004) "Information behaviour of Migrant Hispanic Farm Workers and Their Families in the Pacific Northwest" Information Research, 10(1) paper 199
