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#critlib 9/8/2015: information and migrant populations
Storify of the September 8 2015 #critlib chat on "Information and migrant populations", moderated by @bembrarian. Discussion questions and suggested readings here: http://critlib.org/information-and-migrant-populations For more info about #critlib, including past and future chats, see critlib.org.
- Preliminaries
#critlib tonight on the timely topic of information and migrant populations, hosted by @bembrarian : http://critlib.org/twitter-chats/upcoming-twitter-chats/ …
Join your PLG tonight at 8pm in the IQ Room of the East Tower @HermanBWells for a meet up! We'll display the #critlib chat starting at 9pm.- This weeks' chat topic is information & migrant populations, moderated by @bembrarian. For more about #critlib, see http://critlib.org/twitter-chats/upcoming-twitter-chats/ …
#Critlib is in the house!!! Tonight's topic is information and migrant populations. https://twitter.com/iuplg/status/641323910575882240 …
30 minutes until #critlib . . . take a look at the topic here: http://critlib.org/information-and-migrant-populations … I will start tweeting a bit leading up to the convo.
I've got my #critlib moderator toolkit, which includes A/C, coffee, and dependable WiFi. pic.twitter.com/qJyUzOqTsL- Introductions
- @bembrarian My own background being a librarian currently in Cambodia, to return to @TheLWTech @learningcommons in just a couple weeks!
hello #critlib coming at you live from the IQ wall pic.twitter.com/J0yU9bZuWN
Hi #critlib, I'm an outreach librarian at a public university's, and my record just skipped because of this: pic.twitter.com/gi213QWBcJ- @foureyedsoul @iuplg @HermanBWells I imagine #CritLib projected onto the sides of buildings next week!
Hi #critlib @jessicahochman student and #critlib lurker joining for the first time. (also former @edrabinski student too!)
.@kshockey04 Hmm. I know many archivists who are deeply passionate/knowledgeable about theory. I'm sometimes reticent b/c it gets too deep- Reasons for archivists to join #critlib chats: https://twitter.com/kshockey04/status/641421747623956481 …
I have enjoyed every #critlib chat I've been able to attend! Important work, y'all. <3 http://twitter.com/foureyedsoul/status/641422654398955520 …
Howdy #critlib I'm mostly out tonight-but wanted to pop in to say thx @bembrarian for leading this chat & new mod @violetbfox for wrangling.
Hi #critlib! I'm a student of @jessicahochman joining for the first time.
https://goo.gl/7kifqw Hi #critlib, I'm a reference librarian at a public library in California's Central Valley. I'll mostly be listenin…- Question 1: What migrant populations do you serve at your library? Does your library observe migration and how?
- @bembrarian I'll stay tuned into the Cambodian library I work at here. We have countless urban migrants who have to find information in PP
- @bembrarian That certainly sounds like it poses problems for providing up to date information/access to information for their diff. fields
- @kelkinslib Absolutely. There's a huge need for core info for these researchers, esp consultants/students only working a couple months.
- @violetbfox Is this population new? Also, does the library have public information how they are supported??
- @violetbfox Can you expand a little? what kind of programming? #critlib
@bembrarian I don't think it's particularly formal or spelled-out (in a public place). ESL, citizenship test help, etc. #critlib- @kaitlinmlk I think it's fairly limited. What I've heard about is ESL help, citizenship test help, Somali language materials. #critlib
- A1: considering the broad definitions @bembrarian provided, many (temporary) migrants come to our college town. #critlib
- @bembrarian sure! And our students overwhelmingly move to Portland -- the one biggish city in OR -- after graduation. #critlib
- @bembrarian good question! We work with the CAMP program: http://oregonstate.edu/dept/camp/ #critlib
- A1: at a uni level, we offer some services bilingually & there is this rad Mi Familia weekend, started by a student: https://www.facebook.com/MiFamiliaWeekend …
- @bembrarian no, but many of our Latino students are Mexican-American. #critlib
- @bembrarian It really feels like it. Even a community that was displaced for development 10 yrs ago, totally forgotten by locals.
- @bembrarian Or 20 years ago... here's an article about one example in our county http://www.jstor.org/stable/41445623?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents …
- @modbrarian So Asian and then locals to the town? Any migration from local towns, cities, etc? I'm interested in the granularity.
@bembrarian well sure. I am at a medium sized state university in Wisconsin. You could say all the students are migrants to and from here.- @modbrarian That's what I was getting at ;) But not sure how helpful generalizing everyone as a migrant is or isn't. Still need to ponder..
- @bembrarian it's different for college students imo. Most have a perm. home to return to when school is out with family.
- @modbrarian Good point. I am fascinated by the "integration" and "orientation" all college students face when they arrive to the campus.
- @bembrarian certainly makes every fall feel like starting from scratch a lot in my work.
- @modbrarian That's the same space I'm in with the NGO here. A lot of retelling and recycling old materials and processes.
- @modbrarian do you get students from those families? #critlib
A1.1 Also Bloomington has a lot of regional (hey, @kshockey04's from The Region) migration, beyond int'l profs/students & families #critlib
@foureyedsoul I'm wondering how many folks stay in US, vs go elsewhere after graduating, if there are stats? #critlib- @thomthomthom @foureyedsoul great question! Or move on to still other countries, too. And how does it break down by nationality? #critlib
.@bembrarian Maybe? We ask for a photo ID and proof of current address when registering. Most people use their DL for both. #critlib- .@bembrarian I was thinking of a patron having a Non US Citizen DL and using that to apply, but now am not so sure. Good question. #critlib
- @lisa_raney plus you can give them lots of resources and help w/o the card. I know that doesn't help outside of library....
- @lisa_raney Proof of address has been tricky for me to agree with as a librarian. There are a lot of homeless in Seattle to provide it.
- @bembrarian @lisa_raney In my prev public lib, we issued lib cards to ppl w/ Mexican consulate ID + utility bill. Some were undoc'd #critlib
- @lisa_raney @bembrarian At MCPL an official letter saying holder is participating in social services works #critlib http://mcpl.info/checkout/checkout-information&quicktabs_checkout=1 …
- @foureyedsoul @bembrarian @Sam_Winn These are all such great ideas!! Am saving them so I can bring them up with admin. #critlib
- @foureyedsoul @lisa_raney Wow--a great alternative, but perhaps fairly challenging and off-putting in terms of process? Thoughts?
- @bembrarian @lisa_raney I agree—it's perhaps less than ideal, but far better than nothing. I know zilch about process & use count. #critlib
- @kaitlinmlk Definitely. We've been trying to increase our outreach efforts actually. That's step 1. #critlib
- @kaitlinmlk They're mostly using our rural branches, but we have many more services (and staff) at our main branch in town. #critlib
- @lisa_raney @foureyedsoul @Sam_Winn Librarians should, I think, work with admin on these foundational concepts often.
- @kaitlinmlk Love this q. I don't believe migration has to be international/immigration. A lot of populations move for different reasons.
- @kaitlinmlk Depends on the librarian to define migration. Where it gets tricky is how the community defines it.
- @kaitlinmlk There's also today's major migration issues in the EU #critlib
- I think @modbrarian captures it. "Borders" may be ephemeral, self-defined or defined by others. Not always locative. #critlib
- .@kaitlinmlk I think this is key too. Many of our "hidden" communities were economic migrants w/in US. #critlib
- .@kaitlinmlk From archival standpoint, they present unique documentation challenges. Our peers at #aranz2015 have been discussing #critlib
- Question 2: What are key components that define “place” and “community,” and how can libraries/librarians embody those core qualities?
- @modbrarian "Shared Experience" touches on a fundamental concept re: migration. How can we look at breaking down outsider/insider? #CritLib
- This was the session, for anyone interested: http://amc2015.alliedmedia.org/event/933305a3eb25bc09851a775edfa4e545 … #critlib cc: @bembrarian
- .@AcornElectric And prioritizing mobile friendly/accesible sites, since many folks rely on phones for Internet #critlib
- @kshockey04 Is it intertwined for migrating populations? How does someone new to a place identify (or not) with a community?
.@bembrarian absolutely. communities are constellations. you're leaving your spaces, your place, your id'd communities (1/?) #critlib- @kshockey04 This is where marketing/advertising/outreach becomes fascinating to me re: new members of a community. How do they see options?
- @bembrarian @kshockey04 great to have resources but how do raise awareness of them? It speaks more to our outreach into community #critlib
- @kaitlinmlk @kshockey04 I know many libraries (including my hometown library in Maine) that are very, very bad at any outreach whatsoever.
@bembrarian @kshockey04 working with post office to make library offerings known as part of registering address? (maybe idealistic)- @bembrarian @kshockey04 (I also just moved, so I know what you get when you register and it's all crappy ads)
- @little_wow @kshockey04 Actually that's a great idea. I know the post office is super busy so I'm not sure how feasible that would be.
- @little_wow @kshockey04 Also, what happens when the post office (in the USA) shuts down, which they have threatened to do due to debt?
- @bembrarian @kshockey04 also now that I think about it, is a struggle for undocumented or homeless folks. Is handflyering the answer?
- @bembrarian @kshockey04 local papers?
- @bembrarian @kshockey04 never underestimate the power of flyers! Provide them to patrons and ask them to hang them
- @little_wow @kshockey04 Fliers can work if done appropriately. Word of mouth when it comes to strangers to the community is also important!
- .@bembrarian almost like an electron, you land in another place and learn how that space defines its spaces and places and comms #critlib
- .@bembrarian the same applies to a librarian serving a new community after migration. #critlib
- @kshockey04 The librarian as migrant would be interesting to think about. Consultants and contractors are, in their nature, migratory.
- @kshockey04 And USA jobs lately seem to be moving toward a more "temporary" or "temporal" contract model.
@thomthomthom great point, how do norms of access and use limit the welcome new community members might feel, unintentionally? #critlib- @thomthomthom Maybe by allowing them to use those spaces for their cultural norms? or as meeting space for similar communities? #critlib
- @kelkinslib definitely! creating accessible spaces and promoting access to communities #critlib
- @modbrarian this comes up in schools too: white teachers in schools serving minority youth; big (oft-overlooked) power imbalance. #critlib
- Good question. Ask, if you can. I am weak in this part of my game. #critlib https://twitter.com/bembrarian/status/641423914065887232 …
#critlib relevant to tonight's chat https://twitter.com/mcgilllib/status/639537228285353985 …
(Reproductive labor has me lurking in #critlib tonight, thx for great convo so far @bembrarian)- Question 3: How can the library provide culture support to migrant populations during crises in information seeking?
- @kshockey04 Great example!
- @kshockey04 I feel like public libraries are often the first place people think to seek refuge/use as a safe space... #critlib
- @kshockey04 ...a good example would be Ferguson. The libraries stayed open, I believe.
- .@kelkinslib sometimes. it's hard for people in low-income communities to approach classy-looking libraries too. #critlib
- Man, #critlib Q3 is such an important question. I have to take a minute to think on it. https://twitter.com/bembrarian/status/641424702788009984 …
- I think our ideal response should reflect any crisis plans. Be available/flexible/compassionate. @fergusonlibrary was great model. #critlib
- @modbrarian sometimes we are the only gov't (assuming public libraries) resource that can help in a lot of situations
- @kaitlinmlk Don't disagree with this statement. Although I might say "willing to help" instead of "can help."
- In case you haven't figured it out, @AlliedMediaConf is pretty dang gr8, and if you're lucky, there will be a lib track again! #critlib
- @bembrarian yes, and many of our families had varying legal status within same house. Was v important to id orgs willing to help them
- @bembrarian I would love to hear from other people who did it on a bigger scale. It wasn't something my then supervisor supported...
- @bembrarian So I kind of went rogue! Nonetheless, it has informed my practice + experience going forward.
- Question 4: How can libraries become more welcoming in general to new individuals and populations in the community?
- @kshockey04 ditto. So needed. #critlib
- @kshockey04 I'd love #CritLib folks and otherwise to identify some key civic institutions beyond the library that work with migrating pops.
- @bembrarian @kshockey04 I've seen museums—Minneapolis' art mus.? Toronto's ROM? LACMA? can't recall right now—do migrant outreach #critlib
- @bembrarian yeah! I have worked at two public unis where anyone who lives in the state can get a card, and almost no one knows. #critlib
- @foureyedsoul @kellymce @bembrarian worked at a CC lib last job. Partnership with the local pub lib was a big deal. and great for both.
- @foureyedsoul @kellymce @bembrarian http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2014/08/academic-libraries/columbus-community-college-public-library-partner/ … here was the library journal write up about. Happy to answer questions.
- @foureyedsoul @bembrarian I think abt this a lot, cuz we don't have much rec rdg, but students seem reluctant to walk to the PL. #critlib
- @bembrarian @kshockey04 Also look for centers that offer vocational training, literacy councils #critlib
- .@bembrarian @kshockey04 MHMR centers. Legal advocacy groups. Culture-based social orgs. Faith orgs. Food kitchens etc #critlib
- @Sam_Winn @kshockey04 Is the library the keystone organization here? The "One Ring" of all of these resources?
- @kellymce @kshockey04 @Sam_Winn A certain decentralization. I'm curious about #leadership and how to facilitate visions to respond to need.
- @bembrarian @kellymce @kshockey04 I favor model where multi orgs point ppl to other orgs in network. Lots of access points. #critlib
- @kellymce @bembrarian @kshockey04 I will say in my exp that having engaged leadership is ideal. But I'd do it again regardless.
- @bembrarian @kellymce @kshockey04 hmm, yes. Community ownership/selection of resources is ideal. I was thinking of unhelpful lib supervisor.
- @bembrarian @kellymce @kshockey04 not that his/her unhelpfulness stopped the community members from helping each other, thankfully.
- Question 5: For groups and individuals who will leave the community for elsewhere, what support can the library provide?
- .@bembrarian first things that come to mind: ethnic civic groups (e.g. "slovak center" here), housing admin, employment agency #critlib
- @kshockey04 These are great ideas! I like the idea of collaborating with ocal law enforcement, emergency/rescue, and health groups.
- Pitches and sign offs
- Just a reminder: you can stay on the up and up with everything #CritLib by checking out http://critlib.org/
Gotta run #critlib, thx to @bembrarian for a great job moderating, awesome chat!- My #critlib pitch is to go to @AlliedMediaConf next year, obvs
- Thanks @bembrarian for a stimulating #critlib -- lots of good ideas!
- (And welcome to @kaitlinmlk and @kelkinslib! Hooray, @PrattSILS students are critlibbing it up!) #critlib
Thank you @bembrarian! Lots to think about... #critlib- @heidylibrarian Thanks for migrating into the conversation. See you at a future #CritLib!
- thank you @bembrarian for moderating the inaugural #critlib @ wells for this fall semester!
- @jessicahochman @kaitlinmlk @kelkinslib @PrattSILS More students more often! Thanks for everyone's participation!
- @bembrarian You've been a wonderful host. Thank you for a compelling chat.
- @kshockey04 @kelliebarbato Yep! Check out http://critlib.org for more formal descriptions! Conversations are on Tuesdays.
- @kelliebarbato It just started formally with the twiiter chats in April of last year. Read up at http://critlib.org/
- @bembrarian Thanks for a great #critlib not as scary as I thought it would be!
- @kaitlinmlk #CritLib is all about the no-scary :) At least while I'm in the digital room!
- Thanks for a great #critlib topic & moderation effort by @bembrarian tonight! And cheers to @thomthomthom & @iuplg for making it an event!
- @kelliebarbato There's a running #critlib joke about critical potatoes, so have a tater tot garbage plate or @lepetitpoutine while you join!
Re: tonight's #critlib chat and always a good reminder. https://twitter.com/neilhimself/status/640588905335525376 …- @kaitlinmlk #CritLib is all about the no-scary :) At least while I'm in the digital room!
