Multnomah County Library An Administrators View of Da

Multnomah County Library An Administrator’s View of Día de los Niños y Día de los Libros ALSC National Institute, 09. 15. 06, Ellen Fader

Multnomah Background • 17 MCL locations serve Portland, Gresham, and rest of county • Separate units dedicated to adult and youth outreach • 1995 Ellen Fader started as Youth Services Coordinator • 1997 MCL awarded first of 2 Library Services and Technology Act grants (LSTA) to start LIBROS ALSC National Institute, 09. 15. 06, Ellen Fader

WHY LIBROS? • Latino population in county rapidly expanding • Cultural and language service barriers • Staff lacked language skills • Library Outreach in Spanish (LIBROS) addresses issues • Started with one Spanish-speaking Library Outreach Specialist in January 1998 • Marcela Villagran proposed MCL’s first Día celebration ALSC National Institute, 09. 15. 06, Ellen Fader

Planning our First Día • Objective: to celebrate with Spanishspeaking children and their families the magic of books and stories, and to celebrate their culture and language • One location -- a diverse, centrally located branch with large and small meeting rooms and enthusiastic staff ALSC National Institute, 09. 15. 06, Ellen Fader

First Día Highlights • 10 a. m. – 3 p. m. , Friday April 30, 1999 • Target audience of 200: preschoolers and their families • Invited partners Marcela already served with bilingual or monolingual outreach visits (Head Start; Migrant Even Start; Housing Authority of Portland sites; child care programs; social service agency programs) • Advertised through partners’ newsletters; Spanish newspapers/radio; Library flyers and newsletter ALSC National Institute, 09. 15. 06, Ellen Fader

• What we promised: Join us for a traditional celebration of childhood and bilingual literacy honoring the power and magic books bring to children. • Sponsors thanked on program: Oregon Public Broadcasting (giveaway books from OPB’s Ready to Learn initiative), Don Pedro Mexican Food Restaurant (food for volunteers), El Hispanic News (ads), Safeway (refreshments for families), and Pat Mora (inspiration). ALSC National Institute, 09. 15. 06, Ellen Fader

First Día Program • Donated apples, cookies and juice • Library info table (library card applications and general Library info brochure in Spanish; takeaway bookmarks, stickers and paper book bags to color • Local clinics did child health screenings • 4 storytimes with easy crafts ALSC National Institute, 09. 15. 06, Ellen Fader

1999 Activities • • Puppet Shows Music Dancers Children’s Museum hands-on activity • Tables with crafts • Storytelling • Picnic at the Library: tablecloths on meeting room floor for groups to eat the lunches they brought • Community Fair (WIC, Oregon Public Broadcasting, Head Start & social service agencies) • Library Tours ALSC National Institute, 09. 15. 06, Ellen Fader

1999 Workers • LIBROS Advisory Committee (Library staff & community members who advised on LSTA grant) • Staff from Oregon Council for Hispanic Advancement (OCHA) • Hispanic clubs from local high schools • Volunteers recruited by Volunteer Services or by Marcela for LIBROS • Bilingual staff (paid) ALSC National Institute, 09. 15. 06, Ellen Fader

Wow! • Nearly 1, 000 people attended the 1999 celebration • Multnomah County Library was the first agency in the Northwest to observe Día de los Niños y Día de los Libros. • Having a Latina county commissioner involved brought great publicity ALSC National Institute, 09. 15. 06, Ellen Fader

What we changed for Día 2000 • Needed to print program in Spanish and English • Needed and got more media sponsors: El Hispanic News returned; we added The Oregonian and KBOO • Many more wanted to participate; all thanked on program (Spanish classes; restaurants; science museum; zoo; Police Activities League) ALSC National Institute, 09. 15. 06, Ellen Fader

More 2000 changes • Moved to a branch library where more migrant families lived • Branch had 1 large and 2 small meeting rooms • Changed to a Thursday (Head Start doesn’t meet on Fridays) • Longer program: 10 a. m. – 8 p. m. • Community Fair and Art Workshop went all day ALSC National Institute, 09. 15. 06, Ellen Fader

2000 Highlights • High school students trained to do Library tours (every ½ hour) • Community volunteers trained to read stories (noon, and every ½ hour from 4 p. m. ) • Many students performed/presented: storytelling; dance; puppet shows • Professionals: clown (bilingual!); music; dance; storytelling (Carmen Bernier. Grand) • Over 4, 000 attended ALSC National Institute, 09. 15. 06, Ellen Fader

What happened in 2001 • Still coordinated centrally by Spanish Outreach Specialist • Expanded to 6 libraries • Involved many more staff and community resources • Reached over 6, 300 participants • Offered 29 cultural programs • Lasts for month of April ALSC National Institute, 09. 15. 06, Ellen Fader

New in 2001 • Paper flower and piñata making • Photography workshop • Bilingual play • School choir • Arts & Crafts Show • College dancers ALSC National Institute, 09. 15. 06, Ellen Fader

Hooray!! • Multnomah County Library wins the 2002 Estela and Raul Mora Award! • Marcela Villagran is on FMLA with first child! • At REFORMA Board meeting in ALA Midwinter/Philadelphia in January 2003, Ellen Fader accepts plaque and stipend! ALSC National Institute, 09. 15. 06, Ellen Fader

Día 2002 • Ellen Fader (happily) no longer responsible for LIBROS. • 6 branches now have dedicated bilingual LIBROS paraprofessional staff who provide programming, reference and outreach services. • That leads to the biggest change: Each branch plans own Día – only professional programming and supply ordering are centrally coordinated. ALSC National Institute, 09. 15. 06, Ellen Fader

Local planning • More responsive to neighborhoods • Increased staff development opportunity • Increased local ownership – staff, schools, and businesses • Work for Spanish Outreach Specialist shifts to coordinating supplies, and liaison with Public Relations, which books professional programmers, designs local flyers, and promotes month-long event ALSC National Institute, 09. 15. 06, Ellen Fader

Local planning • Need to have role clarity and decisionmaking authority clearly delegated – Color of logo and paper – Systemwide Web site and flyers? Local flyers? Templates? Design? – Style guides? – Translation – Promotion – local or systemwide? – Who is main contact for questions & media appearances? ALSC National Institute, 09. 15. 06, Ellen Fader

More hard decisions • Who… – documents (photos, videos) each event? – previews & selects professional and local talent? – solicits community groups’ participation? • Varied project management, budgeting and evaluation skills ALSC National Institute, 09. 15. 06, Ellen Fader

Feedback • ESL WIC clients confused about one branches’ Spanish/English flyer promoting Día for all bilingual children • Bilingual staff confused: who is really in charge at branches? ALSC National Institute, 09. 15. 06, Ellen Fader

Now it is 2006 • LIBROS has expanded to 8 branches • LIBROS has new manager • Stated mission: “…an event directed toward the Latino commuity of Multnomah County. It is intended to celebrate children and their culture and language, bilingual literacy and the magic of books. ” ALSC National Institute, 09. 15. 06, Ellen Fader

Future literacy focus • How can we make the event more literacybased and make it reflect theme “children and bilingual literacy? ” • Defined “literacy-related activity: ” One wherein language, words, stories, or letters are primary elements • Analyzed all 2006 activities & giveaways for literacy focus ALSC National Institute, 09. 15. 06, Ellen Fader

Examples literacy-related activities • • Storytelling Book-making Writing Reading aloud Singing songs • Cutting out letters • Using letter stamps • Activities emphasizing dialogue • May focus on textual elements – Shapes – Colors – Numbers ALSC National Institute, 09. 15. 06, Ellen Fader

Not literacy-related, but still valuable • These strengthen community and family ties, are fun, enhance cultural literacy, stimulate discussion – Making crafts, such as paper flowers – Face painting – Instrumental music ALSC National Institute, 09. 15. 06, Ellen Fader

FYI: 2006 Budget • Programming • Rentals • Printing (partial) • Other $6, 159 $1, 976 $1, 302 $1, 350 – Llama – Artist for craft program – Performers in schools • Total budget (partial) ALSC National Institute, 09. 15. 06, Ellen Fader $10, 787

ALSC National Institute, 09. 15. 06, Ellen Fader

2007? • Directed toward Spanish-speaking community • Provides a majority of programming, crafts, events, and activities that are designed to promote bilingual literacy • Adheres to a single system-wide marketing presentation of the celebration as guided by Public Relations with input from LIBROS work group ALSC National Institute, 09. 15. 06, Ellen Fader

2007 specifics • Continue to implement new meeting room guidelines • Three-hour limit of celebrations (started in 2005) • $15, 000 programming, print & supply budget for 8 locations • Roles & responsibilities clarified with PR & LIBROS ALSC National Institute, 09. 15. 06, Ellen Fader

Why is Día so important? • Community focus • Volunteer involvement • Public (parents, educators, agencies) loves it • Brings people together • Staff learns new skills • Gets media attention • Donors • LITERACY! ALSC National Institute, 09. 15. 06, Ellen Fader