Library Services to Refugees and Immigrant Populations

Thursday, September 19, 2019
2:30-3:30 p.m.

The inscription on the Statue of Liberty reads: “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” Providing services to refugee and immigrant populations are both challenging and fulfilling, yet a vital part of the everyday services of libraries and librarians. Come listen to our distinguished panelists and discover what makes this population so unique and why providing this service is fulfilling. This presentation is sponsored by the International Library and Cultural Exchange Interest Group.

Speakers:

Marina Valenzuela is a Language Librarian for Arapahoe Libraries who works with diverse language communities in Arapahoe County to connect them with resources for language learning, continuing education, and social support. She is also part of the internal team at Arapahoe Libraries charged with supporting and crafting learning opportunities for staff around equity, diversity, and inclusivity.
Marina knows that it takes organizational patience and a familiar face to build bridges to communities and encourage everyone to take an interest in what the library can be for them. Marina holds a Masters in Library and Information Science from the University of Denver.

Daniyom Bekele is one of the Reference Librarians who works for the Schlessman Family Branch of the Denver Public Library. At the branch, Daniyom provides services to immigrants and refugees through the Plaza program. Daniyom is also part of DPL’s Services to Immigrants and Refugees (STIR) committee helping diversify programming throughout the system, creating welcoming events/space for customers, and providing assistance in designing culturally sensitive and appropriate staff training.

International Library & Cultural Exchange Reception

Please join us for an international libraries reception Thursday, September 19 at 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. location to be announced. We will be featuring international refreshments from around the world.

Support the ILCE-IG through International Jewelry Purchases

Stop by Nancy Bolt’s booth in the exhibit area. A percent of all sales is donated to the ILCE-IG to be used for grants and programs.

For more information contact:

Nancy Bolt, nancybolt@earthlink.net
Jen Yadav, jyadav@dclibraries.org
Janet Lee, janet.lee35@gmail.com
Barb Thorne, BarbThorne@aol.com
Jane Mirandette, janem101@aol.com
Kathy Plath, plathkathy@gmail.com
Sue Keefer, stlreadn@gmail.com
Shannon Brennan, sbrennan@littletongov.org