What to do when there is a TOTAL lack of Spanish speaking, bilingual librarians available to hire??

Let us face a Library World Reality: Even if libraries had the funding, commitment and initiative, there are very few library assistants, librarians, or parapros who speak Spanish FLUENTLY that you can hire to fill the void. Even fewer are bicultural. Why is this? Let's look at MLIS degree candidates...why so few.

If you are a minority Spanish speaker that did well enough in high school, have the initiative and, god forbid the finances to pay for an undergrad degree and a masters, WHY would you choose a profession that has little respect. low pay and an expensive master's degree with little return on investment financially? Frankly your family (and probably you) would look at yourself as a failure for not taking the opportunity to become a college educated lawyer, doctor, or business person. In my case I studied biology as an undergrad and faced the same dilemma explaining it to my family in Mexico. When I became a librarian, believe it or not, my salary actually increased and then everyone was happy with my "new profession".

The FEW Spanish speakers that are out there are already placed, and you can only steal them away if you offer more money and freedom to do the job the COULD be doing for you.

One fact that I see as a big barrier is how CLIQUISH the Library Profession can be. If you don't have your MLIS, somehow you don't measure up to work in a library. There are plenty of great professions that would make great Bilingual librarians if we gave them a chance. TEACHERS and SOCIAL WORKERS are professionals that have many of the qualities that transition well to library work. Many TEACHERS nowadays are jaded and discouraged by the education system, and many more have experience, but more importantly, are TRUSTED by the diverse communities they serve the school. Library pay is on par or SHOCKING: maybe BETTER than teacher salaries, and much of what they do in the classroom is done in a library without all the negative aspects of the current education system with federal and state regulations and testing, and political pressures. In a library a TEACHER would get to do all the things they ENJOYED about education WITHOUT all the NEGATIVES that are associated with school education.

Social workers would also make great library professionals. They know how to network with a community, finds resources, organize people and projects and find the resources patrons need to conduct their lives.

If it were me, the next time a position opened, I hold a meeting calling for Spanish and Bilingual Teachers and Social workers to come to a free luncheon provided by the library and present a worksession on what it is like to work in the library, provide library tours and presentations by front line staff who are available to answer any question they had about the library world. Then, let them know you need and encourage them to apply.

But even at the basic level any branch can find Spanish speaking staff. I would suggest that a branch take the next page or shelver position and make a concerted effort to only hire a LOCAL, COMMUNITY BASED, Spanish speaker. A language barrier is just that, a BARRIER. If this individual was empowered to be called over to the Children's desk, Adult Reference desk or Circulation desk to assist translating for Spanish speakers, it would go a long way to show the community that it was serious about serving their needs and support local youth in the process. individuals for higher positions could be groomed by this process and you may even get a few to consider becoming Library Assistants or Para-professionals over time.

What makes a Latino Librarian a Perfect Fit for the R-Squared Risk and Reward Conference?

 Using the iconic Piñata as a metaphor, let's build a Library effigy using standard library philosophies and institutional norms, fill it with the expectations that Latinos and Spanish speakers want and need from a library, then destroy the old Library model using colorful examples explained biculturally so that predominant Anglo perspectives can understand them.

 Libraries and Latinos BOTH want what's inside the Piñata: The candy that represents the rewards and prizes that will bring an institution and a community together to help and support each other. Libraries in general ARE losing relevance in our modern world. We'd love a savior in the form of a large, growing population banging on our doors to be let in. And yet, it already exists right under our nose in the form of a large and growing Spanish speaking, Latino underserved population. The trick is attracting them to new and innovative, culturally relevant library services that will not only serve their needs, but allow Libraries to adapt and renew themselves. 

 Why, you may ask, do we need to destroy the traditional library model? Simply, it just doesn't work for Latino Communities on so many levels. In this blog, I'll attempt to address the following issues and others:

• Language, Cultural, and Political hot potatoes, barriers and roadblocks
• Lack of bilingual and bicultural staff in all service areas
• Lack of Cultural Competency among staff members
• Unfamiliarity with library rules, regulations and standard operating procedures
• Perceived unwelcoming and/or threatening environment in the Library
• Library services, collections and program miss-connects
• Lack of Library Vision and Mission encompassing Latino needs and services
• Lack of Latino leadership and voices at the decision making level in Libraries

Along with my unique perspective that I'll share in the Conference, I'll also bring a Pinata in the shape of a Library that we can all break open!! Because deep down every adult is jealous that only the kids get to have all the fun breaking something full of candy and toys!!

Got a question or a concern you'd like answered. Email me at larrymaynard@gmail.com and I'll address it anonymously in my blog.