Hispanic Integration Services Program Of Cleveland County
1. Hispanic Integration Services Program of Cleveland County Allen Mosteller – Public Services/Reference Librarian Cleveland Community College
2. Cleveland County needs to pool its resources to serve the needs of the Hispanic community that represents a significant proportion of the county population in a more efficient and caring manner.
3. The Hispanic Integration Services Program of Cleveland County is a community-based organization that serves the educational, social, cultural, self-improvement, and empowerment needs of Hispanics, who have recently arrived in the United States.
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5. Our objective is to help immigrants to Cleveland County get access to the programs, organizations, and services they need to successfully integrate with our community, our state, and its way of life.
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7. The Shelby Rotary Club Center for Global Studies is the central training location for our community integration services.
8. The location of the career services center – proposed completion date is May 31, 2007.
9. Teaching Hispanic newcomers how to access county services using the Internet, as well as providing them the tools and space for this access is crucial for our groups success.
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11. To be responsive to the needs of the Hispanic community, we need to collect more relevant information and data in order to properly evaluate community assistance and integration services To do this we must conduct periodic community analysis and needs assessment surveys of the Hispanic community.
12. Efficient provision of services to underserved populations requires the same skills and planning as any well thought-out marketing campaign. Multiple strategies, persistence, sensitivity to audience response, and a willingness to learn are successful strategies for reaching a target audience regardless of whether the goal is to sell automobiles or publicize available services.
13. STEPS TO FOLLOW IN PLANNING SERVICES FOR THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY 1. Assess personal readiness 2. Assess facility readiness 3. Gather information about the community overall 4. Review needs assessment techniques 5. Match needs assessment technique's to community segments 6. Develop evaluation strategies 7. Gather information from the community segments 8. Analyze information 9. Review service policies 10. Revise service plan 11. Implement changes to service plan 12. Evaluate impact on the community segments
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15. Some examples of information sources to access: Hennepin County Library Pathfinder Citizenship and Immigration Pathfinder created by the Hennepin County Library System for citizenship and immigration legal and government information. Becoming American: New Immigration Stories This site was created to share the outcomes of this project with librarians and facilitate local programming related to the theme. Includes reading lists for various levels for immigrant literature as well as other resources. Thinkfinity Online Courses What was before the Verizon Literacy Network, this is a link to their online catalog of free courses including courses on citizenship topics. Following the Clues: A Visit to the Doctor and the Library The University of Nebraska Medical Center has created this film on visiting the doctor and library. It is available on their website in English, Spanish, and Sudanese-Nuer. Fuerza unida This manual is a guide to understanding and working with Latino families experiencing domestic violence. Written primarily for government workers, nonprofit staff members, and other professionals working with Latino clients, it will benefit anyone seeking to relate effectively to our growing Latino communities . Conviviendo con el cancer de seno This Spanish-language website offers information and a community of support for women who have breast cancer. Consumer Health Information in Many Languages Resources From the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, this pathfinder collects resources from a variety of sources on medical topics in multiple languages.
16. PROVIDING ACCESS 1. Create an atmosphere of openness and friendliness to the Hispanic community; the library should be a reflection of the community it serves. (welcoming and comfortable physical atmosphere, geographic location, sensitized staff, customer service attitude, language, signage, materials location, electronic access interface, hours, meeting room, etc.) 2. Provide information and signage in appropriate formats. (language, large type, Braille, reading levels, etc.) 3. Provide equal access to all materials through the public catalog. (user friendly interface, language, reading level, assistive technology, etc.) 4. Provide delivery methods for all segments of the community. (catalogs, collections, and/or programming in community sites, by mail, home delivery, school visits, etc.) 5. Familiarize all segments of the Hispanic community with library services in appropriate formats (language, media, outreach, community collaboration, etc.)
18. Hispanic Integration Services Program of Cleveland County We are here today asking for a grant to fund the position of an Executive Director who will serve as the services coordinator working to establish the necessary partnerships to deliver the needed services to the Hispanic community. The requested funds will also be used to create and sustain the marketing campaign so vital in reaching out to the Hispanic community. The other duties of the director will be to search for, apply for, and receive grants to upgrade overall needed Hispanic community services; and to incorporate successful programs and services initiated with soft monies into the regular community services.
