What a difference a year makes! Last year around this time, the Library Service to Underserved Children and Their Caregivers committee had the opportunity to re-envision how the committee could better serve ALSC. We were knee-deep in the pandemic and struggled with how we could deliver no-cost content that was both timely and useful to our colleagues. Looking back on the past year, we hope we’ve achieved that goal. And we hope to continue providing this service. We rolled out five toolkit pages this year, beginning in August with resources devoted to Autism & Sensory Processing Disorders. We concluded this work in April with resources devoted to Children with Print Disabilities. Along the way, we received marvelous feedback from readers of the ALSC blog with further recommendations and excitement for the work we were accomplishing. We were encouraged by this engagement, and are in the process of developing a schedule…
Tag: LSUCTC Toolkit
Spanish-Speaking Toolkit Follow-up: Interview
This month, we are following up on our Toolkit for Spanish Speaking Populations with an interview with Amelia Martinez. She is both part of the Spanish-speaking community and serves the Spanish-speaking community and brings a wealth of insight to working with underserved populations. What is your current position? How long have you worked in your library/community? I am a Public Service Assistant (Cultural Focus) at the Whatcom County Library System. I started working for the library system 10 years ago. Prior to the library, I worked at a Migrant Head Start as a teacher aid. Before that, I worked for 5 years as a Community Health Worker for Sea Mar Community Clinic. I learned how challenging it is to access services for a lot of Hispanic families. It’s hard when you come from a different country and you are dealing with a language barrier. You are learning everything including the…
Toolkit: Spanish-Speaking Populations
The Library Service to Underserved Children and Their Caregivers committee is devoting the 2020-2021 calendar year to creating a vibrant, dynamic toolkit that provides ALSC members with up-to-date resources for working with marginalized populations. Each toolkit page will provide professional and leisure reading recommendations, support for programming, and materials for families. As dynamic documents, these pages will continue to grow and develop as we find new resources, share our experiences, and continue to learn. This month, our LSCUTC Toolkit focuses on resources for serving Spanish-speaking populations. According to Census data, Spanish is the second most spoken language in the United States with approximately 42 million speakers (Source: Census.gov). Most of our resources focus on creating an inclusive space for Spanish-speaking families through materials, programs, and outreach. When working with specific communities, be aware of the importance of cultural authenticity in your approach, partnerships, and resources. Building trust and relationships with…
New Toolkit to Help Youth Experiencing Financial Insecurity and Homelessness
The Library Service to Underserved Children and Their Caregivers (LSUCTC) committee is devoting the 2020-2021 calendar year to creating a vibrant, dynamic toolkit that provides ALSC members with up-to-date resources for working with marginalized populations. Each toolkit page will provide professional and leisure reading recommendations, support for programming, and materials for families. As dynamic documents, these pages will continue to grow and develop as we find new resources, share our experiences, and continue to learn. October’s LSUCTC Toolkit focuses on youth and families experiencing homelessness and financial insecurity. One national estimate concluded that the number of public school children in grades pre-kindergarten through 12th who experienced homelessness during the 2017-2018 school year was a staggering 1.5 million (source: National Overview from the National Center for Homeless Education). With the current instability brought about by the pandemic, it seems reasonable to assume these numbers have increased. Youth experiencing homelessness may try…
Toolkit: Autism and Sensory Processing Disorders
The Library Service to Underserved Children and Their Caregivers committee is devoting the 2020-2021 calendar year to creating a vibrant, dynamic toolkit that provides ALSC members with up-to-date resources for working with marginalized populations. Each toolkit page will provide professional and leisure reading recommendations, support for programming, and materials for families. As dynamic documents, these pages will continue to grow and develop as we find new resources, share our experiences, and continue to learn. This month, our focus is serving children who have autism and other sensory processing disorders. As our understanding of these children and their needs increases, libraries are recognizing an important role in supporting these families in their community. This may involve specialized resources, adapted programming, and community partnerships to support children and their caregivers. We are hoping to use this opportunity to bring awareness to the unique considerations of library service to this population, provide support…