Statewide Hispanic Conference

On behalf of the Diversity Task Force I was privileged to attend the 2007 Statwide Hispanic/Latino Issues Conference. The program was provided by the SC Commission for Minority Affairs.
The program began at 8:30 as promised and it did last until 5:15p.m. We had time for lunch while yet another panel discussion took place.
The really good news is that the entire day went very quickly and all of the speakers were first rate. There were seven sessions that included a nationally recognized individual who introduced the topic and the panelists. They were followed by a person with a regional interest and panelists were mostly from South Carolina.
We also had two breaks during which we were encouraged to visit the exhibits in the next room. All of that information will prove very valuable to the task force.
Education led the day as the first session. Among many salient points we were advised to think about the importance of the venue of the activity and that in order to reach the Latino community we must go to them. ESL classes should not be held during the work day but evenings and Saturdays.
Immigration ~ you can imagine that there was a good deal of talk about President Bush's "wall" along the US/Mexico border. But there were also many social and historical aspects of immigration discussed. We were asked to raise our hands if any of us were descendants of immigrants... One facet of immigration that was news to me is that it takes a generation for aculturation to take place.
The Census of 2010 is only two and a half years away. The original mandate from the Congress was to "count all the inhabitants of the country" and it remains that broad a scope today. Dr. Falcon was a spirited speaker who let a couple explitives slip into his comments, but he caught the audience's attention. It was easy to get caught up in his enthusiasm for a topic that could very well have been dry and boring.
"The Economic and Social Implications of Latino Immigration in South Carolina" report was unveiled at the conference. If you check last Thursday's Post and Courier you can find an article about it and brief comments about the Conference.
Public Safety covered many aspects of the living conditions in which Latinos have to cope. Along with this was mentioned that it is imperative that this community be involved in planned evacuations in the event of a hurricane strike. I have already attempted to get some Hurricane Guides in Spanish to have at our Branches. We were also informed of the high percentage of traffic tickets issued to Latino drivers who do not have a license. One of the many reasons for this is that there is no driver's manual in Spanish and the written test is in English only.
Employment and Health covered the myriad topics one would expect.
A general question and answer period followed the discussions before the closing remarks. Since not a single speaker had mentioned the "L" word all day I stood up to the mike and did so. VERY suprisingly I received a round of applause for my speil. Let's face it, we do a damn good job and we continue to be under-recognized.
The Executive Director of the SC Commission for Minority Affairs, Ms. Janie Davis, addressed the issue of "cultural competency training". Would that make a great subject for our next Staff Day!
I'll be glad to answer any questions or comments you might have about the conference.

It's a new day

A small piece of advice to new bloggers: don't move too quickly from your preview of a new posting, you could lose it like I just did. So this is an attempt to recreate the lost posting.

My other blog is called, "The dog's blog". Everyone so far has been extremely creative in their naming of their quests. So, Garfy is responsible for mine.

The Diversity Task Force is up and running. We had our first meeting last week that was very successful with lots of new ideas emerging from several members. Watch this committee for good stuff to happen.

The new director of the Berkeley County Library, Donna Osborne, met with us yesterday. She proposed that Otranto patrons be able to use their Branches for the duration of the renovation. She's a little lady with big ideas. This new level of cooperation will allow us to join forces to provide ever-better library service to all our customers. This is an exciting arena that we'd never explored before.

!Hasta luego!

Updates

It seems that having a "virtual meeting" would be somewhat complicated without some adjustments and a brief training session from the Cybrarians in TLC. Stay tuned to catch the date of an actual meeting.

The John's Island staff have been blogging along and now we have the St. Andrews staff creating three new blogs for their patrons. With the "Library 2.0 Committee" established it would seem we'll be doing many more aspects of our jobs electronically, visually and audibly.

Staff Day was a resounding success! What a great way to gather, enjoy and learn. Hopefully future Staff Days will be as entertaining and enlightening.

Word may not have gone out yet that the Cooper River Branch will be closed the week of 21 May 2007 for recarpeting of the building. St. Andrews and Dorchester might experience heavier traffic that week. The actual dates are: closing at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, the 19th and reopen on Tuesday the 29th. Staff will be in the Branch on Monday to pack up and on Friday and Saturday to prepare for reopening.

Are you blogging? If so, do I have your address?

Please feel free to comment on any and all topics.

Let's give it a try!

On two ocassions recently a committee has "met" electronically. The Chair sent out notes to which the members responded. Everyone saw each other's remarks and therefore, we were able to come to a consensus.

I am proposing that we do a "Virtual Extension Managers' Meeting". This would probably consist of my posting the agenda along with comments. YOUR responsibility would be to respond to and add your ideas to my posting. This would be in lieu of the physical meeting since Thursday mornings I am now involved in another meeting. Thursdays are the best days, schedule wise to hold these gatherings.

Please let me know your thoughts. Also include the day and time that would be convenient to meet electronically. Thanks for your time and input. I'll be looking for your comments!

Staff Day is April 27, 2007

This is just a reminder to staff that we are all required to be there. It's my hope that everyone will join together for a fun day in the great outdoors as we get serious and silly attempting to work as a team. CCPL is becoming a large organization with many complicated parts. If every wheel turns in unison the company will be able to move forward. I encourage everyone to actively participate in all aspects of the day. The folks who elect not to join in the outdoor games will be otherwise kept busy working with the Extension Manager (who would prefer getting to know all of you in a different setting). Let's join together to make the day a positive experience for everyone!

MEMORIAL DAY CLOSINGS

The Main Library and all Branches will be closed on Sunday and Monday, May 27 and 28 in celebration of Memorial Day. As usual the Main Library will continue to open Sundays from 2pm to 5pm during the summer. The Regional Libraries, on the other hand, will not reopen on Sundays until 9 September. It happens we're on top of this item this year. Yeah, us!

MEMORIAL DAY CLOSINGS

The Main Library and all Branches will be closed on Sunday and Monday, May 27 and 28 in celebration of Memorial Day. As usual the Main Library will continue to open Sundays from 2pm to 5pm during the summer. The Regional Libraries, on the other hand, will not reopen on Sundays until 9 September. It happens we're on top of this item this year. Yeah, us!