Highlights from 2006 Diversity Conference
Diversity Conference
University Plaza Hotel and Conference Center
June 7-8, 2006
Make your hotel reservation by May 17 to receive the OLC Conference rate.
Agenda
Wednesday, June 7
10:00 AM
Registration
10:30 AM
Opening General Session:
Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights and Murder in the Jazz Age
Kevin Boyle, The Ohio State University |
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| Kevin Boyle is the winner of the 2005 National Book Award for Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights and Murder in the Jazz Age. Maureen Corrigan, in an interview on NPR, described Arc of Justice as "one of those narrative histories that stumbles upon what looks to be a relatively minor incident from the past, excavates it, and then claims to have actually discovered a mother lode of revelations, crucial to understanding an entire age. This kind of high-stakes prospecting approach to historical writing doesn't always work, but when it pays off, as Arc of Justice does, it pays off big." Kevin's opening remarks will set the tone for two days of reflecting on the impact of diversity in our culture, our communities, and our libraries. |
11:30 AM
Lunch
12:30 – 1:45 PM
The Community Within: Discovering African-American History in Rural Ohio
Ric S. Sheffield, Kenyon College
Many rural areas in Ohio have long established black communities that are often invisible to the larger white communities in which they reside. This program relates the adventure of reclaiming the lost history of African-Americans in Knox County, Ohio and explains the benefits of including minority populations within celebrations of heritage. Ric Sheffield is Associate Professor of Legal Studies and Sociology at Kenyon College and Director of the Law and Society Program. His research has focused on the relationship between the law and issues of gender, race, and ethnicity. He has lectured widely on issues of race, and the law, as well as African-Americans in rural Ohio.
Language Barriers and Providing Effective Library Service
Cheryl Kuonen, Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library; Deva Walker, Cleveland Public Library; and Nancy Seeger, Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library
When working with international patrons at the desk, on the phone, or online, the language barrier can present a genuine challenge to communication. But language barriers complicate other library situations as well: for instance, when hearing library staff work with hearing impaired patrons, and when adult library staff interact with teen patrons, who seem to speak an IM language all their own. Come to this lively panel session to learn tips and suggestions for improving communication with non-native English speakers, with people who are hearing impaired, and with the teens in your library and community. Learn how to better serve these patrons with the resources you have!
A Sense of Belonging
Diona Hicks, Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library; David Jennings, Akron-Summit County Public Library; and Mark Wills, Dayton Metro Library
For many people, the library is a place to venture for no longer than it takes to obtain something to read, ask for information, or attend a program. Others may view the library as a meeting place or as a place to think or study. However, some community members use the library as a place to escape a stressful and difficult situation, as a convenient hangout, or as a comfortable place to blend in with everyday life. For them, the library gives a sense of belonging. Yet many of these community members do not have the skills to interact successfully in public places. How can library staff effectively communicate with people who don't always have acceptable behavior in public places, yet want social interaction? In this program, a panel of librarians will provide workable solutions to the library as a shelter, outpatient clinic, or day care center. Participants will learn techniques to provide compassionate service and how to establish guidelines without violating civil rights.
Diversity In Teen Literature
Wendy Morano, Columbus Metropolitan Library
Have you read the one about the boy who wanted to be a girl? Or the one about the girl alone in Afghanistan after the Taliban kidnapped her father and brother and murdered her mother? Or the story of Sonny, a 13-year-old boy living in Medellin, Columbia, desperate to prove he's a man? Have you ever thought about what it might be like to be smuggled across the U.S. border form Mexico to start a new life, or how you would survive on the run with a schizophrenic father? Teen literature has come a long way since “The Outsiders.” In this session you'll explore the diversity of choices available in teen literature today.
1:45 – 2:00 PM
Break
2:00 – 3:15 PM
Ohio's Diverse Appalachian Communities
James M. Couts, The Appalachian Nutrition Network
Do you know that Ohio's Appalachia is comprised of White, African-American, Native American, and Hispanic populations? Our poverty level is high as is our level of illiteracy. Of the 80 poorest school districts in Ohio, 68 of those are in Appalachian counties. We desperately need Ohio's libraries to be sensitive to our rich multicultural heritage and our need for reading programs available to English speaking and non-English speaking people of all ages. Do you know libraries can partner with the Migrant Feeding Program in our counties and with the summer reads/summer feeds programs for children? These and other partnerships can help enrich the depth and breadth of the Appalachian experience.
Diversity and Individuals With Disabilities
Kevin Leonard, Coordinator of Goodwill Technology Resource Center
Is your library staff prepared to work with a diverse and varying population of people with disabilities? Is your staff aware of the Do's and Don'ts of how best to assist and/or communicate with library patrons and/or co-workers who have disabilities? Technology Resource Center, a service of Goodwill Industries of the Miami Valley, can provide you with information on how to work with team members with disabilities as well as serve customers with disabilities. Major points covered in the PowerPoint presentation will include: 1) How to Talk to People with Disabilities, 2) The Changing World of Disabilities, 3) How to be Inclusive, and 4) Using Assistive Technology for a Diverse Population. Handouts will be available. Time will be allotted at the end for questions. Kevin Leonard, a quadriplegic for 27 years, has first-hand knowledge and expertise in this field. He shares personal experiences as well.
The LGBT Toolbox for Librarians
Susan Ballard, Cuyahoga County Public Library and Tony Petruzzi, Morley Public Library
Does your collection include The Advocate, "The L-Word," and Robert Mapplethorpe? Are you planning on adding "Brokeback Mountain" or "Transamerica" to your collection? What display do you have planned for October 11? We will provide tools to serve your lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender customers from statistics to programming to collection development.
Values Voting: How Our Prejudices Impact Our Choices
Margarita De Leon, Kaleidoscope Group
Attendees will participate in an exercise which helps to demonstrate how our prejudices affect decisions we make in the workplace. A review of the primary and secondary dimensions of diversity as well as other dimensions help to shed light on the importance of recognizing the impact of our behaviors on others. An overview of the components of a successful diversity journey will also be shared.
3:15 – 3:30 PM
Break
3:30 – 4:45 PM
Digital Terrorism and Hate
Rick Eaton, Senior Researcher, The Simon Wiesenthal Center & Diversity Matters
Rick Eaton, senior researcher and internationally-recognized expert with the Simon Wiesenthal Center for 20 years, is an expert on this topic. Based on more than 5,000 problematic Web sites, portals, online games, blogs, forums and videos, he will share the results of this important and extensive research. In addition, he will report on the Center's annual CD-ROM, “Digital Terrorism and Hate in 2006.” The Internet is growing as a key propaganda weapon, marketing tool, and fundraising engine by terrorist and extremist groups. Participants will explore the essential responsibilities and roles that libraries play as the values of “equality, openness and fairness for all” intersect with the world of technology.
Understanding and Working with People in Poverty
Kathy Lechman, Ohio State University Extension
This interactive session will explore some survival strategies that are often developed by people who live in poverty. Participants will explore a variety of views on poverty including who is in poverty, how people become part of the working poor, and strategies for providing services to this population. Participants will share strategies on successful programming and initiatives and will build additional skills and resources.
Market Your Library 101
Alison Circle, Columbus Metropolitan Library
Curb appeal? Branding? Marketing? These aren't library terms. Come find out how to market your library to your diverse community. Join Alison Circle, Marketing Director for the Columbus Metropolitan Library, in a fun-filled, energetic workshop on developing a marketing plan, logo, and delivering a clear, focused message to your customers. Alison's experience in marketing includes working as a Senior Account Executive/Creative Director for Jack Morton Worldwide where her primary client was Target, and as National Marketing Director for Garrison Keillor and “A Prairie Home Companion.”
The Power of Song
Leslie Aurelia Acevdeo and Mercedea Shriver, Flint Public Library
“The Power of Song: Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round” was Flint Public Library's outreach project designed to teach young people about the Civil Rights Movement with a focus on freedom songs. Over a nine-month period, library staff, with the assistance of Bernice Johnson Reagon, PhD, cultural activist, historian, author, and singer, and the Choir Directors, guided the library research of a citywide school mass choir as they studied the Civil Rights Movement. The participants shared what they learned with the community during a month-long exhibit of their artwork, poems, and essays at the library. This project made the Civil Rights period come alive and resonate in the audience as the choir performed the songs sung in communities across the nation before the choir members and many of their parents were born.
5:00 PM
Conference Reception
Unwind after a busy conference day with your colleagues from across the state. There'll be relaxing piano music, complementary hors d'oeuvres, and a cash bar. Additionally, OLC will provide ample information on popular restaurants and destinations within the city for your evening's enjoyment. You can make plans to have dinner with your friends or just relax in your hotel room with your current favorite book.
6:00 – 9:00 PM 
Ohio Dinners for Spectrum
* OCLC's Kilgour Building Atrium In Dublin, Ohio
ALA's Spectrum Initiative's major drive is to recruit applicants and award scholarships to African American, Latino/Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Native American/Alaskan Native students for graduate programs in Library Science. All proceeds from this event will benefit ALA's Spectrum Initiative. This year's featured speaker is Diane Bloom, producer of the film “An Unlikely Friendship.” Please note that registration for the dinner is not included in the price of the conference and must be made separately through OCLC. If you wish to attend the Spectrum Initiative Dinner, please register to attend.
* Free transportation to and from OCLC will be provided. Directions from
the University Plaza Hotel to OCLC will be available at the conference.
Agenda
Thursday, June 8
7:30 AM
Breakfast Buffet
8:30 – 9:30 AM
General Session: An Hour with Jaime Adoff
Jaime Adoff, Author
Jaime Adoff was born in New York City but grew up in Yellow Springs, Ohio. His latest novel, Jimi & Me was published on September 1, 2005 and received the 2006 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award. He is the author of The Song Shoots Out of My Mouth: A Celebration of Music (2002), which was a Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Honor book (2003), an IRA Notable book (2003), a NY Public Library book for the teenage (2003), a VOYA poetry pick (2002), and a CCB Best Book for 2002. The critically acclaimed Names Will Never Hurt Me (2004) was his first young adult novel and was named a New York Public Library book for the teenage (2005). Jaime is the son of the late Newbery Award-winning author Virginia Hamilton and renowned poet Arnold Adoff. Jaime Adoff lives in his hometown of Yellow Springs, Ohio.
9:45 – 11:00 AM
An Unlikely Friendship
Diane Bloom, Filmmaker
The film "An Unlikely Friendship" skillfully documents what happened when the Exalted Grand Cyclops of the Ku Klux Klan came together with an African-American civil rights activist in an intensive community event that forced them to face their differences and find common ground. The result was an altogether unexpected and life-changing friendship based on communication and understanding. This expanded breakout session will screen the film, provide a short overview about its production, and then use the film as a springboard to engage participants in discussion of topics the film generates. Activities will help participants extrapolate lessons of the film to their own lives, relationships, and situations. (Note: this session overlaps into the second breakout session of the morning and runs until 12:30 PM.)
Cultural Diversity
Lilly Calderon-Cavanaugh, Cross Cultural Communications
The Hispanic population jumped to 12.5% of the population in 2000, from just 9% in 1990, and narrowly edged out African-Americans as the nation's largest minority group. Our country is going through an incredible transformation. Everyone is pondering if all Latinos are the same. Should they be called Latinos or Hispanics? What do they value? How did they get here? How are they integrating into our communities? Learn about Hispanic groups which have made the Midwest their home. Study the cultural values, belief systems, and family traditions that hold together Latino society in the US. Understand the issues faced by Latinos in regard to immigration, employment, education, and health, among others. Gain knowledge about communication skills and basic Spanish resources that can help you relate better to Latinos in your area.
The Case for Diversity
G. Michael Payton, The Ohio Civil Rights Commission
Michael Payton is the Executive Director of The Ohio Civil Rights Commission. In this session he'll focus on why diversity should be embraced within organizations and define “diversity” as distinguished from “affirmative action.” He'll discuss best practices for achieving diversity in organizations and provide reasons why diversity benefits organizations and communities.
Books in the ‘Hood (And Also the ‘Burbs): Literature for Reluctant Readers and At-Risk Teens
Rollie Welch, Cleveland Public Library
A significant number of at-risk teens in urban, suburban, and rural environments choose not to read. Learn which powerful books may spark an interest in these teens, encouraging them to become life-long readers. The new wave of “gangsta lit” and the problems these books bring to teen services will also be discussed.
11:00 – 11:15 AM
Break
11:15 – 12:30 AM
An Unlikely Friendship (Continues)
Ocean County Library: Connecting People, Building Community
Valerie Bell, Ocean County Library System
Creating an environment where customers and staff are respected and welcomed is a philosophy easier to conceptualize than achieve. Ocean County (New Jersey) Library's customer service philosophy and diversity initiative is based upon the principle of creating a welcoming and respectful culture. During this program we will share some of our strategies and best practices for reaching out and partnering with an increasingly diverse community including our training and use of Appreciative Inquiry skills in the development of local branch diversity plans of action. We will discuss some of the inclusive approaches that have been successful in staff training and cultural awareness seminars all of which have been used to create an atmosphere of acceptance and a culturally competent staff.
It Takes All Kinds to Make a World
Charlie Ezell, The Extra Edge
The program offers practical and applicable ideas for dealing with people from other countries and cultures, whose customs and expectations are different from our usual patrons. Standard verbal and non-verbal communication, words to use and words to avoid, working with and without a translator, explaining library policies and procedures, and using a “global etiquette” to welcome and inculcate newcomers to the library are all covered. A professional librarian and educator, Dr. Ezell is a popular and entertaining speaker who trains hundreds of librarians across the country.
Muslim Characters and Islamic Themes in Children's Books
Asma Mobin-Uddin, Author
Knowledge about Islam and Muslims is crucial to furthering understanding in today's world. However, many books with Muslim character or Islamic themes contain inaccuracies which may further misunderstanding or contribute to stereotyping. Author, pediatrician, and member of central Ohio's Muslim community, Dr. Asma Mobin-Uddin will discuss children's books in this area and make recommendations for sensitive, accurate books about the Muslim experience. |
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12:30 PM
Lunch
1:30 – 2:30 PM
Closing Summary Session
Kevin Boyle will not only have been a presenter at this conference, he will have been a participant–attending breakout sessions, dining with participants, and networking. During this closing session he and other major speakers, including Rick Eaton, Diane Bloom, Jamie Adoff, and Margarita De Leon, will share insights into what they've learned at the conference and interact with audience members during a Q & A session.
2:30 PM
Adjournment
