Innovative Library Programs for the Hispanic Population: Opportunities for the Public Library Administrator

Abstract

For centuries, the Hispanic population has been proving itself as an emerging majority in the United States. The United States census shows that the Hispanic population more than doubled from 1970 to 1980 and from 1980 to 1990. However, despite these data, libraries have not adapted their library services to meet the needs of this population, despite their knowledge that Hispanics do not feel welcome in libraries. Authors from 1970 to 2001 have highlighted the long-standing problem of Hispanic under-utilization of libraries and have provided recommendations for the library community regarding adapting their services in a culturally sensitive manner. Despite these publications, there is still literature in 2001 reporting that Hispanics do not feel welcome in libraries. The purpose of this study is to examine the current status of three facets of librarianship: (1) outreach efforts to Hispanics; (2) specialized training for Hispanics in bibliographic and information literacy; and (3) current attitudes of Hispanics toward public libraries.

Citation

Guerra, A.M. (2006), "Innovative Library Programs for the Hispanic Population: Opportunities for the Public Library Administrator", Garten, E.D., Williams, D.E. and Nyce, J.M. (Ed.) Advances in Library Administration and Organization (Advances in Library Administration and Organization, Vol. 24), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 249-317. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0732-0671(06)24008-2