B4 Settlement And Public Libraries: Initiatives and Potential_Laura Heller

Settlement and Public Libraries: Titulo de Initiatives and Potential laHeller Laura presentacion OCASI Professional Development Conference Wednesday April 22, 2009 7:30-8:30 pm

Session Objectives  Share information about a new settlement sector program  Review and consult with the settlement sector on its potential  Provide a rationale to share information with colleagues about LSP and facilitate client referrals

Overview of Presentation  Overview of the context and the role of libraries  Newcomer information needs and information seeking practices  Partnership opportunities  Overview of LSP (history and current developments)

Overview: Introduction  Review Canadian experience and LSP in particular in light of overall response of the public library sector to address the changing constituencies of users  International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) also taking leadership in developing resources, strategies and professional development opportunities

Strategic Context  Numbers of migrants have increased internationally  Need for new settlement service delivery models – better coordination among providers  Prevalence of “social inclusion” in government policy in Canada & UK = removing barriers to full participation in all aspects of society “The challenges posed by these [conditions] means there is an urgent need for local [governments] and other organisations to think, plan and deliver more collaboratively, and to share good practice more effectively – and they need support to do so.”

Role of Public Libraries Where do public libraries fit in?  Vital and well established community asset  Bring people together in context of community interaction and often development  Provide access to reading, learning, information and citizenship  Support formal and informal skills development  Gateways to knowledge and their resources provide for individual and shared discovery and empowerment.  Role as connectors, bringing resources, and people together

Innovation in Public Library Developments Working Together initiative (2005-2008): www.librariesincommunities.ca  Community Development Librarians  Relationship building and partnerships with community organizations  Identifying and investigating barriers to library use

Research on Immigrants’ Information Practices What are the information needs, pathways/sources, and barriers to information experienced by immigrants throughout the settlement process? Report authors: Professor Nadia Caidi, Doctoral students: Danielle Allard and Diane Dechief, University of Toronto, Faculty of Information

Immigrant Information Needs Recent Immigrant Needs Longer Established  Translation services  Health  Pre-migration  Employment information  Schools for children  Employment e.g.  Political/current job search skills events  Housing  ESL  Making connections courses/materials in the community  Transport/maps (e.g. professional  Identity construction associations, (e.g. how to position volunteering) themselves vis-à-vis  Orientation to Canadian society) ‘Canadian life’  Information about culture/religious events

Information Pathways/ Sources of Newcomers:  Family and friends, local and transnational  Media sources such as newspapers and the Internet  Organizations such as community centres and settlement agencies  Government

Barriers to Accessing Information for Newcomers:  Language (e.g. fear of speaking English)  Suspicion or mistrust of authority  Isolation and feeling like an outsider  Using children to find information  Lack of familiarity with Canadian information institutions/ sources  Cultural differences  Not knowing how to ask for services

Information Practices Information practices = An umbrella term that captures the complex ways that individuals actively or indirectly look for information to help them make sense of their lives.  Everyday Life Information seeking (ELIS) (Savolainen 1995)  Habitual, non-rational, multiple goals  Newcomers need to establish new patterns and information sources in a ‘culturally alien information environment’ (Mehra & Pappajohn 2007)

Information Poverty Information poverty = Lacking necessary resources such as adequate social networks and information finding skills that enable everyday information seeking. Are new immigrants information poor?  Need basic information for survival  Limited local social networks  Little knowledge of the Canadian information environment  But…typically new immigrants have high levels of education and often have non-local or transnational social networks

Benefits of Partnering with Libraries Offer programs that target newcomers Community Information & Referral Services Adult Education & Literacy Multilingual Collections Other Resources

Library Programming for Newcomers  1x1 tutoring – ESL, literacy, citizenship help  ESL classes  Computer classes – ESL and other languages  ESL story time for pre-schoolers and parents  orientation sessions on healthcare, job search, how to obtain a driver’s license

Library Collections for Newcomers  Multilingual collections in first language (books and audiovisuals)  English books that are easy-to-read  Newspapers and magazines – foreign and local  Dual language materials especially for young people  Tools such as bilingual dictionaries

Library Services for Newcomers  Community Information & Referral Services  Data bases  Internet service and some training on how to use it  Research services and assistance to support adult education, community programs, employment efforts (self employment etc)

Adult Education & Literacy in Libraries  Libraries have a long history of partnering with literacy agencies  Offer 1x1 tutoring integrating citizenship information & support; New immigrant centers  Story time programs develop pre-literacy skills in pre-school children and also offer adults opportunity to practice English

Libraries Inclusion of Newcomers How can libraries ensure that their traditional programming is truly inclusive?  Opportunities for communities and libraries to extend the reach and participation in such library-driven activities such as book reading clubs, local history, etc.  Newcomer involvement in such areas as participating in collection development  Strategic planning and other decision making processes to include newcomers

Summary There are numerous well-documented examples of public libraries as providers of services for culturally diverse communities. Services for approach usually includes:  Collections in different languages  Internet access enabling library users to keep in touch with what is happening in other countries.  Programs targeted at specific underserved groups in such a way that they are seen as a separate “add-on” rather than part of core services  Programs often have been over-dependent on the commitment of specific individual members of library staff The approach adopted has tended to be service-led, rather than transformational.

From dream to reality - LSP  Given the potential for settlement sector / public library partnerships to improve settlement and long term quality of life of immigrants, what is LSP and how is it contributing?

Some background information LSP grew out of the Settlement Workers in Schools initiative.  The Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS) Program is a very unique partnership model first piloted in 1999 that involves the participation of settlement agencies, school boards and CIC.  The program reaches out to newcomer families by placing settlement workers in elementary and secondary schools. By placing settlement services where all school-aged children must go, we are able to reach a greater number of newcomers than through traditional points of service.  During the summer months when school is out, settlement workers needed to find other places in the community where they could deliver services. The library became a popular spot for SWIS workers.  Libraries saw the benefit of having settlement workers in the library year-round, not just during the summer and thus, LSP was born.

Rationale for LSP Like SWIS, LSP brings settlement workers to where clients are.

LSP in CIC  LSP derives its funds from ISAP A funds.  ISAP A includes the following services:  Initial needs assessment  Information and orientation  Interpretation and translation  Referral to appropriate community resources  Solution-focused counselling  Employment-related services  ISAP A is delivered by over 160 service providing organizations (SPOs) across Ontario – both ethno-specific and multi-ethnic organizations  60% of SPOs are located in Toronto  Over 200,000 clients were served in 2007  Other initiatives that receive funding through ISAP A include:  SWIS, ELT, JSW, etc.

LSP Enhances the Settlement Sector’s Service Delivery Options and Reach Traditionally CIC funded services are available to  Permanent Residents  Protected Persons  Persons whose applications for Permanent Resident status have been approved in principle  Live-in caregivers (ISAP services only)  Canadian citizens and refugee claimants are not eligible clients. However, LSP expands eligibility  Co-funding allows for access by non eligible CIC clients. LSP is considered to be a co-funded project because of the non monetary in- kind contributions the library provides.  Provides another and very public venue to promote and deliver settlement services

LSP History LSP was first piloted last year in three library systems:  Toronto Public Library (7 branches)  Hamilton Public Library (3 branches + the bookmobile)  Ottawa Public Library (7 branches)

History of LSP Based on the initial success of the pilot, LSP is now in expansion mode in Toronto (to 19 branches) and is just getting off the ground in:  Windsor (3 branches)  London (4 branches)  Kitchener (2 branches)  Waterloo (2 branches)  Brampton (2 branches)  Vaughan (1 branch)  Richmond Hill (1 branch)  Markham (2 branches)

Languages and Communities of LSP Service

Pilot Communities Central Redhill Hamilton SISO Terryberry Bookmobile Ottawa Community Immigrant Ottawa Main Services Organization Lebanese & Arabic Social Ottawa North Gloucester Services Agency Ottawa Somali Family Association Alta Vista Lebanese & Arabic Social Ottawa Centennial Services Agency Lebanese & Arabic Social Ottawa Greenboro Services Agency Conseil Economique et Social Ottawa St Laurent d'Ottawa Carleton Conseil Economique et Social Ottawa Orleans d'Ottawa Carleton Ottawa Chinese Communty Ottawa Main and Nepean Centrepointe Service Centre Lebanese & Arabic Social Ottawa Elmvale Services Agency

City Name of SPO Library Branch Toronto Catholic Cross Cultural Services Agincourt Flemingdon Park Toronto Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office Thorncliffe Park Toronto YMCA Newcomer Services Toronto Reference Toronto Kababayan Parkdale Toronto North York Community House York Woods Toronto Rexdale Women's Centre Albion Albert Campbell Centre for Communication & Toronto Bridlewood Information Services Morningside Eatonville Toronto CultureLink Mimico Toronto Rexdale Women's Centre Richview Gerrard/Ashdale Toronto Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office Parliament Riverdale Working Women Community Toronto Bloor/Gladstone Centre Toronto YMCA Newcomer Services Centennial Toronto Culture Link Lillian H. Smith

New Communities Chinguacousy Brampton Brampton Multicultural Centre South Fletcher's Forest Heights (K) Kitchener- Main (K) K-W Multicultural Centre Waterloo McCormick (W) Main (W) London Centre for Life Long Learning & LUSO Beacock London South London Neighbourhood Centre Jalna London London Cross Cultural Learner Centre Central London London Cross Cultural Learner Centre Sherwood Central Windsor New Canadians' Centre for Excellence Forest Glade Sandwich Central (Richmond Hill) Thornhill Community Centre York Region Catholic Community Services of York Region (Markham) Maple (Vaughan) York Region Centre for Communication & Information Services Milliken Mills (Markham)

Summary  Total of 49 branches served by 22 agencies  11 communities participating (3 pilot and 8 new) each represented by one public library system (11 systems)  Pilot phase consisted of 12 agencies serving 20 branches  Expansion represents a doubling of total numbers and tripling of the number of communities involved

What Does LSP Do?  One-on-one service  Group programs (information sessions and also places to facilitate community interaction – conversation circles, etc)  Outreach (to promote the program and increased understanding of public libraries and what they offer)  Supports information sharing and progress of two sectors both committed to information service, education, and community development

Structure of LSP (like SWIS, a partnership model of service delivery)

Conclusion  Next steps for LSP include further developing the program in the current 11 communities  Looking for new programming opportunities (new activities, new branches and new communities)  Capacity building through training, sharing best practices, etc.  Evaluating the program

Implications for Settlement Workers Discussion Points:  Connecting with LSP if your community or agency is involved in the program  Connecting with libraries if your agency is not involved in LSP  Referrals for information or other library services  Group programs  Outreach  Libraries as partners / advocates for the settlement sector

What you can do  Keep informed www.lsp-peb.ca  Share information about LSP with staff and settlement sector colleagues  Think about partnering with your local public library in new ways

Thanks and keep in touch! coordinator@ciclsp.ca

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B4 Settlement And Public Libraries: Initiatives and Potential_Laura Heller

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B4 Settlement And Public Libraries: Initiatives and Potential_Laura Heller — Presentation Transcript