Information Literacy: Reaching Populations

LACUNY INSTITUTE 2001
INFORMATION LITERACY: REACHING DIVERSE POPULATIONS

Isabel Espinal
Becoming Fluent in Information Literacy for Latino Students

Isabel Espinal is Reference Librarian and Outreach Specialist at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Her talk will cover definitions of Latinidad and the educational and cultural diversity of Spanish-speaking students, including any significant differences between child-of-immigrant and immigrant Latino students. She will address the need for librarians to attain information literacy regarding Latino cultures. Espinal will also discuss the concept of "information poverty." She will also consider other important issues relating to Latino and Spanish-speaking students such as overall language literacy for students from developing countries and how that plays into planning for IL teaching/learning styles of different students, for example, ESOL students versus graduate students. Her talk will conclude with a "best practices" overview.

Curriculum Vitae
Isabel Espinal
W.E.B. Du Bois Library
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA 01003
413-545-6817

Education

University of Massachusetts Amherst, completed six graduate credits in Anthropology with 4.0 grade point average. Currently pursuing three graduate credits in Sociology.

University of California at Berkeley, School of Library and Information Studies, MLIS 1991

Princeton University, BA, Latin American Literature and Civilization, 1990. Also completed all requirements for Certificate in Latin American Studies.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1981-1983.

Outreach Specialist and Reference Librarian, UMass Amherst Libraries, (6/98 to present)

Engage in library outreach activities on campus and in surrounding community. Provide general reference services to library users through the Reference Department of the W.E.B. Du Bois Library.

• Initiate efforts and coordinate activities of library staff in outreach to underserved users on campus and to the broader community.

• Engage external constituencies in informational and research activities outside the traditional framework of library service.

• Develop and maintain informational services and resources appropriate to diverse populations.

• Conduct bibliographic instruction and orientation.

• Serve on Roles and Rewards Subcommittee of the Faculty Senate Council on University Service, Public Service and Outreach. Represented the Library on former University Outreach Council.

Head Librarian, SOUTH NORWALK LIBRARY, Norwalk, CT (5/97 to 6/98)

• Branch Administration: Managed all functions of branch library, including adult services, reference, children’s services, circulation and maintenance. Prepared and monitored budgets. Planned and oversaw branch adult and children’s programming, public relations and customer service. Supervised 12 permanent and many substitutes, with responsibility for recruitment, hiring, training and development, and evaluation of employee performance. Prepared periodic and special reports on branch activities.

• Outreach and Public Relations: Conducted extensive outreach with community organizations; represented the branch at meetings of local legislators; wrote newspaper articles and letters to the editor in English and Spanish.

• Collection Management: Oversaw the selection, promotion and weeding of circulating and reference materials. Was responsible for timely selection of adult book and non-book items.

• General, Business and Children’s Reference

• Internet: Set up Internet service for the branch; created branch homepage; set up and organized workshops for the public in English, Spanish and Kreyol; conducted workshops in English and Spanish.

Supervisor, TURN OF RIVER BRANCH, FERGUSON LIBRARY, Stamford, CT (7/96 to 1/97)

• Branch Administration

• Collection Management

• General, Business and Children’s Reference

• Internet Instructor: Taught Internet basic and advanced workshops. Developed original advanced Internet training programs in English and Spanish, on the following topics: Job Searching, Finding Business Information on the Internet, Internet Tips and Tricks, Resources for Latinos.

Reference Librarian, MAIN BRANCH, FERGUSON LIBRARY, Stamford, CT (5/93 to 7/97)

• General and Business Reference

• Internet Instructor and Program Developer in English and Spanish

• Foreign Language Collection Development and Multicultural Services

• Adult Literacy Collection

Reference Librarian, MAIN BRANCH, NEW HAVEN FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY (9/91 to 7/93)

• General and Business Reference

• Services for the Spanish Speaking

• Young Adult Services

Bilingual Adult Reference Intern, MISSION BRANCH, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY (1/91 to 6/91)

Latin American Cataloging Intern, LATIN AMERICAN BRANCH, OAKLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY (1/91 to 6/91)

Women's Resources Cataloguer and Reference Library Assistant, WOMEN'S RESOURCE CENTER, UC BERKELEY (2/91 to 8/91)

• American Library Association

  • Office of Literacy and Outreach Services Advisory Committee

  • Education Task Force on Library Career Pathways 2000-2002

  • Spectrum Scholarship Advisory Committee

• REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking

  • National Nominations Committee Chair starting July 2000. Served as member of committee since July 1999.

  • President, Northeast Chapter, 1998-2000

  • Vice-President, Northeast Chapter, 1997-98

  • Member, Information Technology Committee, 1997-1999

  • Co-Chair, Information Technology Committee, 1999-2000.

  • Creator and Chair, Recruitment Committee, Northeast Chapter, 1994- 1998

  • National Librarian of the Year Committee, 1995

  • Connecticut Coordinator for Northeast Chapter, 1992-1994

• Association of College and Research Libraries

• Black Caucus of ALA

• University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Library and Information Studies Advisory Committee 2000-2003

• CEDIBIL - Centro Dominicano de Investigaciones Bibliográficas (Dominican Center for Bibliographic Research), Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

• Puerto Rican Studies Association

2001 Connecticut Library Association Annual Conference & Connecticut Black Caucus of the American Library Association

"Excellent Customer Service Means Honoring Diversity," part of panel on Creating a Culture of Inclusion: Building a Diverse Library

2001 Association of College and Research Libraries President’s Midwinter Discussion Forum: Panelist on topic "Building Communities @ Your Library"

2000 Puerto Rican Studies Association:

• "Libraries Addressing the Digital Divide"

• "The Connecting Cultures Project: Making Connections Between the W.E.B. Du Bois Library and Latino Communities"

• "Latinos & Technology: Building an Agenda for the 21^st Century"

• "A New Vocabulary for Inclusive Librarianship: Applying Whiteness Theory to Our Profession"

1999 Teleconference on Communications, Media and Culture: Panelist on "Strategies for the Global/Local Cultural Future of Telecommunications and the Information Economy"

• "Recruiting for Diversity, SPECTRUM AND BEYOND: What Recruiters Need to Know." Panel.

• "Hispamérica: a Community Conference at the University of Massachusetts Amherst," part of the Diversity Fair, sponsored by ALA Office for Literacy and Outreach Services Advisory Committee.

• "Stop Talking and Start Doing: Recruiting for Spectrum," Sponsored by ALA Chapter Relations Committee, Recruitment of People of Color Subcommittee. Panel.

1994 Connecticut Library Association Annual Conference: "Collection Development of Young Adult Materials in Spanish from the U.S., Latin America and Spain."

1993 Connecticut Library Association Annual Conference: "Demographic Survey of Connecticut Spanish Speaking and Latino Residents," as part of REFORMA panel.

Completely fluent in Spanish; Working knowledge of Portuguese, French, and German

• Original creative writing in English and Spanish. Won first place in poetry in Stamford Festival of the Arts Literary Competition in 1994 and 1995. Published poetry in various publications, including Brújula/Compass, Tertuliando/Hanging Out and Callaloo. First collection of poetry, Clean Sheets, published in 1996 by La Candelaria, New York; also published through El Cuarto del Quenepón, an arts journal from Puerto Rico on the World Wide Web: http://cuarto.quenepon.org/

• Former member of the Tertulia de Escritoras Dominicanas en Estados Unidos, conducted by Professor Daisy Cocco de Filippis, York College of CUNY.

• Have translated work by Dominican women writers: Marianela Medrano, Aurora Arias and Yrene Santos.

Member of National Council of La Raza