Action Research Proposal: An Exploratory Approach to Enhance Learning for the Spanish-Speaking Community at the Lake Park Public Library
Patricia Ayame Thomson
LIBR 285 – Somerville
SLIS – San Jose State University
Summer – August 3, 2013
Abstract
This participatory action research is a collaborative partnership between the Lake Park Public Library, the North Carolina Public Library Association (NCL), and the Carolina Chapter of REFORMA. The purpose of this project is to enhance learning for members of Lake Park Library’s rapidly growing, Spanish-speaking community in Union County, North Carolina. To accomplish this, library staff members working with and for Latino community members will investigate Lake Park Library’s Hispanic services program. Peer institutions’ programming will be examined. In addition, members of Union County’s Latino community will be interviewed. Results will inform recommendations for programmatic enhancements. Previous to implementation, staff members will solicit Latino community members’ perspectives on the appropriateness of these potential new initiatives. This action research approach will enhance learning for library staff members, as well as Latino participants and library colleagues in North Carolina.
Introduction
Background
Built in 1990, the Lake Park Public Library is located in northwest Union County, North Carolina. This Participatory Action Research (PAR) project is a collaborative partnership between the Lake Park Public Library, North Carolina Library Association (NCLA), and Carolina Chapter of REFORMA (Association for the Promotion of Library Services and Information to Latinos and Spanish-speaking) to address a district-wide concern regarding the provision of library services to the rapidly-growing Latino immigrant population in Union County, North Carolina.
According to the 2000 U.S. Census Bureau Report, North Carolina has the largest and fastest growing Latino population in the country. Between 1990 and 2000, the U.S. Census reports that the Latino population increased 394% in North Carolina. Regarding immigrants in particular, the census states that: “41,570 new Latino origin immigrants entered North Carolina between 2005 and 2006” (Cramer, 2008, p. 53).
Union is one of the four counties in North Carolina experiencing a surge of the Latino immigrant population, claiming an astonishing 1000% increase, and showing an unprecedented settlement pattern including rural areas (Cramer, 2008, p. 53). Given its centralized location, the Lake Park Public Library was selected as the research headquarters.
The research team will use action research to identify everyday needs and concerns of the Latino immigrant population, and decide on a plan of action to change and improve the lives of this marginalized population. In order to facilitate Latino’s integration into American society, the research will build on the model of the Hispanic services program currently offered at Lake Park Library to develop an enhanced version based on action research insights.
The approach for research will be inductive, using emerging insights from investigation of relevant information sources, including proven promotional marketing strategies, outreach programming strategies, instructional learning outcomes, collection development practices, and student learning aspirations in peer libraries, to identify best practices by which the present Hispanic services program at the Lake Park Public Library will be examined. This development approach has proven to be highly beneficial elsewhere.
This research aims to develop meaningful new Hispanic services program for the Lake Park Library, with the intent of sharing the results with other libraries in North Carolina and the U.S. As Cramer (2008) noted, “Disseminating information about successful Hispanic services programs is helpful to all libraries serving recent Latin American immigrant populations,” (p. 53). In addition, during the research process, the collaborative style and interaction between the participants will enhance learning for both the immigrants, as well as the educators. This PAR project is funded by grants from the Carolina Chapter of REFORMA and the North Carolina Library Association. Support and permission to perform the research has been obtained from all parties involved.
Literature Review
Based in North Carolina, Cramer (2008) compares seven recent articles about Hispanic services throughout the U.S. as a framework for her study. Cramer presents results of interviews with three experienced and knowledgeable Hispanic services librarians in North Carolina to share vital information with other libraries seeking to create or improve their own Hispanic services program.
Among the highlights, Cramer (2008) describes John Sundell’s (2000) accomplishments, including the creation of North Carolina’s first Hispanic services program at Forsyth County Library in 1998, which are further elaborated in a subsequent book published about his experience the following year. Cramer recommends: “He [Sundell] shares valuable information about preliminary actions when creating a Hispanic services program, including locating sources for funding and conducting user needs surveys,” (p. 53). In Cramer’s (2008) summary of seven recently written articles about Hispanic services throughout the U.S., including libraries in Missouri, Alabama, Colorado, and Indiana, the most frequently mentioned topics are: “collection management, program development, and outreach to the Latino community” (p. 53).
Another useful resource is the 2007 report, “Guidelines for Library Services to Spanish-Speaking Library Users,” published by a division of the American Library Association’s (ALA), Reference and User Services Association (RUSA). The Lake Park Library is particularly suitable as the target audience for RUSA’s (2007) report stating “The guidelines are a basic beginner’s manual intended for a hypothetical librarian serving as an administrator of a medium-to-small institution having become aware of the needs of Spanish-speaking communities within its service area” (p. 194).
One of the most salient points in RUSA’s (2007) report is that: “Spanish-speaking communities in the United States have varying language skills and competencies in English and Spanish. The members of these communities have diverse needs and are entitled to access to materials that meet those needs” (p. 194). In order to support varying competency levels, “Libraries should provide appropriate and culturally relevant materials at a level that meets the needs and interests of the various user groups represented in the communities” (RUSA, 2007, p. 195).
In addition, Mercado’s (1997) article states: “It is essential that we breach the language barrier, so that we can open up the world of information and education to immigrant communities” (p. 121). Of great significance here, Mercado adds: “The processes necessary to integrate these new arrivals with the civic culture of the US society are almost nonexistent. . . . because of a lack of resources allocated to the introduction of immigrants” (p. 121). Mercado continues: “Traditionally, public libraries and other educational institutions have been and are the best facilitators of acculturation and assimilation, and the most effective means of educating the larger population about the cultures, attitudes, and values of the immigrants” (p. 121). Bridging the digital divide is also in alignment with the values of “public libraries, with their special role in society of providing universal access to information, and of tuition in literacy and in English as a second language (ESL) to adults and young persons” (Mercado, 1997, p. 121).
In her study, Cramer’s (2008) comparison analysis identified the language barrier as the most prevalent, consistent, and ubiquitous barrier that prevents immigrants from becoming productive and thriving members of U.S. civic culture. Mercado (1997) emphasizes, teaching English to newcomers should not be construed as a form of forced acculturation. “On the contrary, spoken English is perceived as a tool of communication and not a source of identity and community” (Mercado, 1997, p. 121). Sometimes the wait for an immigrant to get in an ESL class can be up to two years in highly populated areas with low funding. “Time and time again, the long lines in front of public libraries during registration for ESL classes are a testimony to the positive view that is taken of learning English” (Mercado, 1997, p. 121). All of the articles, especially Cramer, share a wealth of innovative concepts and key ingredients for public libraries to provide a welcoming learning environment for the Spanish-speaking Latino population in the community. These ideas offer a framework for this action research study, which focuses on the priority need reflected in the literature: English language instruction.
Purpose of the Study – How the Lake Park Public Library can support the communities’ aspirations to improve the lives of the recent Latino immigrant population in Union.
From a national perspective, the latest U.S. Census Bureau reflects a dynamic shift in American demographics, including its far-reaching implications. Cisneros’s (2009) astutely claims in his Newsweek article, aptly titled, A Fence Can’t Stop the Future: “If demographics is [sic] destiny. . . . 60% of total U.S. growth will come from the Latino population – that’s almost 100 million additional people. One in four Americans will be Latino,” (p. 71). Cisneros (2009) advocates inclusion claiming: “If we invest in services that lift Latinos into the middle class, they could become the dynamic heart of a continuing American success story” (p. 71). “Young Latinos could bolster our workforce, increase the size of our markets, support Social Security and revitalize our communities” (Cisneros, 2009, p. 71).
Castaneda (2004) compares the complexities of the current Latino immigrants with earlier European immigrants, stating: “Mexican immigrants are not being assimilated into the American melting pot the way other ethnic groups have been in the past” (p. 39). The two most significant barriers to successful cultural assimilation are the language barrier and discrimination issues (Castaneda, 2004, p. 39). This framework provides a point of departure for the PAR project, working with and for recent Latino immigrant communities to support their aspirations.
From a librarianship perspective, Burke (2008) asserts: “It is undeniable that these numbers of immigrants are having and will continue to have a significant impact on U.S. institutions such as public libraries” (p. 164). “American public libraries have a long history of service to the foreign-born” (Burke, 2008, p. 164). According to the American Library Association’s (ALA) Bill of Rights, “The publicly supported library provides free, equal, and equitable access to information for all people of the community the library serves” (ALA online). Consequently, it is imperative that the Lake Park Library and other libraries throughout the U.S. rise to the call of the library tradition as agents of change and start rethinking ways to enhance learning specifically targeting the ever-growing marginalized segment of our society.
Therefore, the purpose of the Lake Park Public Library’s research project is to enhance current programming and its delivery, including but not limited to educative materials and instructional programs specifically developed for the Latino immigrant population.
Methodology
Study Participants
Pro Bono Consultant – The PAR partnership is honored to announce the participation of librarian and author John Sundell (2000) as the Pro Bono Consultant, as his contribution will provide valuable insight, knowledge, and guidance.
Designated PAR Liaisons – Each institution involved in the partnership will designate at least one or more representative(s) to serve as liaison(s) in the true spirit of PAR. The fundamental value of participatory action research is stated as follows: “Working with rather than for PAR is a commitment to collaboration in its most profound sense as not only a politics of engagement but of solidarity” (Cahill, 2010, p. 154).
Study Participants: Qualitative Method – Semi-Structured Interviews
Participants for this action research include members of the Spanish-speaking community who depend on the Lake Park Library for information access. A month before the initial interview is scheduled to commence, PAR members will collaboratively create an inviting flyer to promote and enlist participants for the study. The flyer will be bi-lingual, and clearly state the study’s goal of improving Hispanic library services for Lake Park Library’s Spanish-speaking patrons. In addition, the flyer will inform potential study participants about basic logistical information and participation in a one-time, thirty-minute interview. As an incentive to sign up for the study, the flyer will note that each participant will receive a $15.00 gift certificate for Starbucks at the end of the interview. The Spanish language flyer will instruct the interested participants to go to the front desk at the Lake Park Public Library to volunteer. The first twenty participants who sign up will be selected for the study.
Data Collection
Semi-structured Interviews – Using Open-ended Questions – Eileen Ferrance (2000) and the LAB, a program of The Education Alliance at Brown University, introduced Action Research as a robust approach to research using mixed methods, allowing researchers to incorporate flexibility and creativity, by using both quantitative and qualitative methods (Creswell, 2014, p. 170).
This action research project incorporates the use of an exploratory study of current library programming practices combined with a qualitative methodology, executed in the form of data collected from a series of twenty semi-structured interviews with informants from the targeted population. The open-ended questioning style facilitates identification of the specific needs and concerns of the recent Spanish-speaking immigrant population in Union. The reason why the open-ended interview style was selected is because: “It promotes the use of questions that address treating individuals’ respectfully through gathering and communicating data collection and through reporting results that lead to changes in social processes and relationships” (Creswell, 2014, p. 71).
Interviews with informants will last thirty minutes on the average. At a meeting scheduled one month before the initial interview, PAR practitioners will decide on no more than 10 relevant and illuminating open-ended interview questions. Data analysis will reveal programming insights from the recorded and transcribed interviews.
Data Analysis
Exploratory, Grounded, and Constant Comparative Analysis – This research uses an exploratory approach to inductively build insights from the data, as broad themes or a generalized theory emerge during the analysis stage (Creswell, 2014, p. 65). Further, Creswell (2014) explains that in qualitative studies, the grounded theory (or some other broad explanation) becomes the end point [sic: italics] (p. 65). As a result, “Grounded theory requires a reciprocal relationship between data and theory. Data must be allowed to generate propositions in a dialectical manner” (Creswell, 2014, p. 67).
Additionally, PAR members will use the narrative approach and constant-comparison analysis method. For clarification, Bordonaro (2006) defines the narrative approach as: “The data in this study are the words spoken by the participants themselves.” She describes the variables necessary in a constant-comparative analysis, explaining: “This technique requires that a series of steps take place when looking for patterns into emerging themes” (Bordonaro, 2006, p. 519).
Thus, once emergent patterns are identified from analysis of the semi-structured interviews, PAR practitioners will use a modified form of the nominal group technique to reach consensus about issues and/or problems which are most critical to address from a community perspective. At that juncture, PAR investigators will again consult with Latino stakeholders on the proposed recommendations emergent from analysis on enhancements to the Hispanic services program at the Lake Park Public Library.
Participatory action research is a rewarding learning experience for everyone involved. Therefore, this inquiry experience is anticipated to be not only beneficial to the library staff but also to the Latino community population, as all participants involved will be committed to improving situations that directly affect their daily lives. As part of the profound self-reflection processes embedded in PAR, practitioners will progressively integrate action research philosophies into their professional practice.
References
Bordonaro, K. (2006). Language learning in the library: An exploratory study of ESL
students. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 32(5), 518-526
Burke, S. K. (2008). Use of public libraries by immigrants. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 48(2), 164-174.
Cahill, C. (2010). ‘Why do they hate us?’ Reframing immigration through participatory action research. Area, 42(2), 152-161.
Castaneda, J. (2004). Needed: A new model. Newsweek, 143(12), 39.
Cisneros, H. (2009). A fence can’t stop the future. Newsweek, 153(4), 71.
Cramer, E. (2008). Servicios para la comunidad: Sharing the experiences of three Hispanic service librarians in North Carolina. North Carolina Libraries, Fall/Winter, 53-57.
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Ferrance, E. (2000). Action research. Northeast and Islands Regional Educational Laboratory at Brown University, 1-33.
Mercado, M. I. (1997). Multicultural realities in the information age: Questions of relevance for public library resource allocation and adequacy. The Bottom Line: RUSA. (2007). Guidelines for library services to Spanish-speaking library users.
Reference & User Services Quarterly, 47(2), 194-197.
Sundell, J. (2000). Library Services to Hispanic Immigrants of Forsyth County, North Carolina: A Community Collaboration. In S. Guerena (Eds.), Library Services to Latinos: An Anthology (pp.143-168). Jefferson, N.C.: MacFarland.
U.S. Census Bureau. Population Division. “Annual Estimates of the Population by Sex, Race, and Hispanic or Latino Origin for North Carolina: April 1, 2000 to Jul 1, 2006.