Write one blog per week!
Ash :)
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Time moves...and moves...and moves...and...
It has been a little while since the last time I wrote a blog. Over a month. The holiday season has come and gone leaving in its wake lots of work to be done. Trina and I have been working on several projects lately.
The first project is the To Mexico with Love project. To Mexico with Love is an organization at IUPUI. This organization revolves around a cultural exchange/community service/ study abroad opportunity in the town of Cuernavaca in Morelos, Mexico. Trina and I both found out about the program through the many fliers posted around the campus. It just so happened that one day Trina came in and saw the flier on my desk and told me that she was also interested in the program.
Neither one of us thought about ways that we could connect the To Mexico with Love program with the Diversity Fellowship. However, later on that week I attended the University Library's Board meeting and was inspired by Dr. Uday Sukhatme (Executive Vice Chancellor and Dean of Faculties at IUPUI) who spoke about IUPUI's vision for diversity, community engagement, service learning and study abroad programs. When I came back from the meeting I talked to Trina about the things he'd said. She and I formulated the idea to combine the skills we are learning at the UL with IUPUI initiatives to promote diversity, service learning, and study abroad programs.
With the help of Michelle Verduzco (Director of To Mexico with Love) and Kristi Palmer (Advisor for the UL Diversity Fellowship) we formulated a plan that would allow Trina and I to use our acquired librarianship skills to serve in an elementary school in Cuernavaca. It actually worked out that Michelle Verduzco and her colleagues from To Mexico with Love were already planning to work on collecting books, and building a library for the elementary school.
With some much needed support from Dean Lewis (Dean of UL) we have been able to move forward with this project.
But that is not even the half of it! Today we are meeting with the library's External Relations team to talk about a book fair project that we will be working on, and last week I was able to meet with the Special Collections team about working on an oral history project. We also are working on an ongoing project with Digitization. With so much to do the 7 months before our term as the University Library's Diversity Fellows will be over before we know it...But I won't think about that just yet. Now I am going to get back to work...there is always a lot to be done.
Carry On,
Ash
The first project is the To Mexico with Love project. To Mexico with Love is an organization at IUPUI. This organization revolves around a cultural exchange/community service/ study abroad opportunity in the town of Cuernavaca in Morelos, Mexico. Trina and I both found out about the program through the many fliers posted around the campus. It just so happened that one day Trina came in and saw the flier on my desk and told me that she was also interested in the program.
Neither one of us thought about ways that we could connect the To Mexico with Love program with the Diversity Fellowship. However, later on that week I attended the University Library's Board meeting and was inspired by Dr. Uday Sukhatme (Executive Vice Chancellor and Dean of Faculties at IUPUI) who spoke about IUPUI's vision for diversity, community engagement, service learning and study abroad programs. When I came back from the meeting I talked to Trina about the things he'd said. She and I formulated the idea to combine the skills we are learning at the UL with IUPUI initiatives to promote diversity, service learning, and study abroad programs.
With the help of Michelle Verduzco (Director of To Mexico with Love) and Kristi Palmer (Advisor for the UL Diversity Fellowship) we formulated a plan that would allow Trina and I to use our acquired librarianship skills to serve in an elementary school in Cuernavaca. It actually worked out that Michelle Verduzco and her colleagues from To Mexico with Love were already planning to work on collecting books, and building a library for the elementary school.
With some much needed support from Dean Lewis (Dean of UL) we have been able to move forward with this project.
But that is not even the half of it! Today we are meeting with the library's External Relations team to talk about a book fair project that we will be working on, and last week I was able to meet with the Special Collections team about working on an oral history project. We also are working on an ongoing project with Digitization. With so much to do the 7 months before our term as the University Library's Diversity Fellows will be over before we know it...But I won't think about that just yet. Now I am going to get back to work...there is always a lot to be done.
Carry On,
Ash
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Beyond Diversity - Multiculturalism
I am really surprised at how fast this semester has passed. Ashley and I began working as Fellows at the beginning of October....and it is already the middle of December.
I am very proud to be one of the first Fellows at the UL, and the title seems to hold very important values and responsibilities. I am, however, a little disappointed with how disorganized the fellowship is - thus far. But, I know that because this is a NEW job, a NEW initiative within the UL, that these kinks have to be worked out...and Ash and I need patience and to do the best we can. We have to set an example and lay the foundation for this new initiative. Of course, as time goes by and new Fellows come and go, this will grow into something more set into stone.
I think because this is so new....and with the implications of the title "Diversity Fellows," that we should really be promoting the education of multi-culturalism and cross cultural interaction, especially within the library. I don't think we should be promoting "diversity." I will tell you why. Ed Gonzalez said something SO intelligent and true: Diversity is difference. Knowing you and I are different from each other. Merriam-webster.com defines diversity as: "the condition of being diverse" and "an instance of being diverse."
Does the UL really want us to promote DIFFERENCES? Or do they want us to promote how our differences contribute to a GREATER cause? How distinct cultures contribute to the country, and in a more personal perspective, our campus? How the different, diverse people in the library work as teams to run this institution? How IUPUI's ever-growing diverse campus continues to thrive - because of the different contributions of faculty, staff, student, visitor's (etc.) different cultures and qualities?
We (Fellows) need to set the goal of showing that we, and the school, welcome diversity (different cultures, ethnicities, religions, careers, goals, appearances, studies, people, environments, knowledge..). We (Fellows) need to set the goal that we will immerse ourselves in all types of cultures, in order to learn and understand, and then share that experience with our audience. Hopefully, we will be great role models so that others - regardless if you are of the IUPUI community or from another state or country - will be motivated to reach out and educate yourself of cultures outside of your comfort zone, or your own cultural environment. I hope we will motivate you to learn that the only barriers that exist are the ones you create.
I am very hopeful for the project/campaign that Ash and I would like to engage in. Our initiative to partner with To Mexico w/ Love has been approved by Dean Lewis! Now, I feel that this will be a great project that will allow us to work and show that our fellowship can entail independence, imagination and ambition. I think this fellowship can be a wonderful opportunity for students to learn and demonstrate how to responsibly be a part of the "real world," and contribute to it by leaving a positive impression (works of good). Promoting multi culturalism goes beyond reading, talking or setting displays. You must live it!
P.S. Merriam-webster defines multicultural as: of, relating to, reflecting, or adapted to diverse cultures.
♥
Trina
I am very proud to be one of the first Fellows at the UL, and the title seems to hold very important values and responsibilities. I am, however, a little disappointed with how disorganized the fellowship is - thus far. But, I know that because this is a NEW job, a NEW initiative within the UL, that these kinks have to be worked out...and Ash and I need patience and to do the best we can. We have to set an example and lay the foundation for this new initiative. Of course, as time goes by and new Fellows come and go, this will grow into something more set into stone.
I think because this is so new....and with the implications of the title "Diversity Fellows," that we should really be promoting the education of multi-culturalism and cross cultural interaction, especially within the library. I don't think we should be promoting "diversity." I will tell you why. Ed Gonzalez said something SO intelligent and true: Diversity is difference. Knowing you and I are different from each other. Merriam-webster.com defines diversity as: "the condition of being diverse" and "an instance of being diverse."
Does the UL really want us to promote DIFFERENCES? Or do they want us to promote how our differences contribute to a GREATER cause? How distinct cultures contribute to the country, and in a more personal perspective, our campus? How the different, diverse people in the library work as teams to run this institution? How IUPUI's ever-growing diverse campus continues to thrive - because of the different contributions of faculty, staff, student, visitor's (etc.) different cultures and qualities?
We (Fellows) need to set the goal of showing that we, and the school, welcome diversity (different cultures, ethnicities, religions, careers, goals, appearances, studies, people, environments, knowledge..). We (Fellows) need to set the goal that we will immerse ourselves in all types of cultures, in order to learn and understand, and then share that experience with our audience. Hopefully, we will be great role models so that others - regardless if you are of the IUPUI community or from another state or country - will be motivated to reach out and educate yourself of cultures outside of your comfort zone, or your own cultural environment. I hope we will motivate you to learn that the only barriers that exist are the ones you create.
I am very hopeful for the project/campaign that Ash and I would like to engage in. Our initiative to partner with To Mexico w/ Love has been approved by Dean Lewis! Now, I feel that this will be a great project that will allow us to work and show that our fellowship can entail independence, imagination and ambition. I think this fellowship can be a wonderful opportunity for students to learn and demonstrate how to responsibly be a part of the "real world," and contribute to it by leaving a positive impression (works of good). Promoting multi culturalism goes beyond reading, talking or setting displays. You must live it!
P.S. Merriam-webster defines multicultural as: of, relating to, reflecting, or adapted to diverse cultures.
♥
Trina
What is it Good For?
Monday I had the opportunity to attend a Indiana State Library Diversity Initiatives Task Force meeting at the Indiana State Library. It was a nice opportunity to see the different ways librarians from across the state are working to promote diversity in their own libraries and in library professions as a whole. Most of the meeting centered around a discussion about a program that the Task Force wants to build to encourage graduate students to consider entering the field.
This discussions triggered my own thoughts about the field of library sciences and my new awareness of all of the different opportunities within library science.
Before I became a Diversity Fellow at UL, I was a library assistant at an elementary school. In that position I gained a greater appreciation for the inner workings of the library. Though the elementary school library was much, much, much smaller than UL it faced many of the same problems that the Task Force addressed in their meeting. The librarian at the elementary school wore many hats. Not only did she do the traditional school librarian duties (checking in and out books, making sure that people stayed quiet) she also spent a lot of time working on grants and developing the library's collection.
As the Task Force members debated I thought about what ways the issue of diversity effects libraries from elementary schools to large public libraries to academic libraries. Through this fellowship I have had an opportunity to work with or collaborate with people who work in all different parts of UL. Recently I have spent some time working on a digital collections project, and after the holiday I will be working with archives. I tried to think of ways that diversity effects these types of library projects also. I came up with this conclusion: after all is said and done, it boils down to representation.
Librarians are the keepers of history and information. Diversity is important in library science because librarians have an obligation to do their best to represent the world around them. During the meeting several people mentioned that they did not want the Task Force to be seen as another "affirmative action program". While I believe that affirmative action, in many cases, opens doors for minorities, when we think about diversity it should not be limited to quotas. Libraries should be concerned about the diversity of cultures, ethnicities, and ideas in the library profession. This exchange will enhance the quality of Indiana libraries in every way. Even elementary school libraries should reflect their patrons, inviting everyone to come and join the fun.
Until next time...make it work,
Ashley
This discussions triggered my own thoughts about the field of library sciences and my new awareness of all of the different opportunities within library science.
Before I became a Diversity Fellow at UL, I was a library assistant at an elementary school. In that position I gained a greater appreciation for the inner workings of the library. Though the elementary school library was much, much, much smaller than UL it faced many of the same problems that the Task Force addressed in their meeting. The librarian at the elementary school wore many hats. Not only did she do the traditional school librarian duties (checking in and out books, making sure that people stayed quiet) she also spent a lot of time working on grants and developing the library's collection.
As the Task Force members debated I thought about what ways the issue of diversity effects libraries from elementary schools to large public libraries to academic libraries. Through this fellowship I have had an opportunity to work with or collaborate with people who work in all different parts of UL. Recently I have spent some time working on a digital collections project, and after the holiday I will be working with archives. I tried to think of ways that diversity effects these types of library projects also. I came up with this conclusion: after all is said and done, it boils down to representation.
Librarians are the keepers of history and information. Diversity is important in library science because librarians have an obligation to do their best to represent the world around them. During the meeting several people mentioned that they did not want the Task Force to be seen as another "affirmative action program". While I believe that affirmative action, in many cases, opens doors for minorities, when we think about diversity it should not be limited to quotas. Libraries should be concerned about the diversity of cultures, ethnicities, and ideas in the library profession. This exchange will enhance the quality of Indiana libraries in every way. Even elementary school libraries should reflect their patrons, inviting everyone to come and join the fun.
Until next time...make it work,
Ashley
Monday, November 19, 2007
American Indian History Month Display
My mother used to tell me that anything worth having is worth working for. I definitely put that principle to the test for the last week while Trina and I were working to complete the display for American Indian History Month. Preparation for this display began about a month ago and when it came to crunch time things just weren't falling into place like they were supposed to. If you have ever done the type of displays we do here I think that you might appreciate what I am saying. Every little step takes time and precision and with some aspects of the display (i.e. mounting photographs on to matte board, or scanning pictures) if you mess up the first time you have to go back and do the process all over again. Finally, this morning (after much screaming and gnashing of teeth) I finished my portion of the display. Woo hoo!
One of the things that I think made this display so difficult to complete (a sentiment that I think may carry through to the rest of our displays and reaches back to the first display) is a want to make sure we are accurately portraying our display subjects. Our displays are very people centered and that adds the extra challenge of being sensitive to cultures that are not our own, and that we may not be well acquainted with. Before we finalize decisions on our displays we like to enlist the help of others who know more. This month we had help from Greg and Debra our friends in Special Collections, IUPUI staff members, and members of the NASA (Native American Student Association) at IUPUI.
With their help I think that we have made this display interesting and informative. However, after spending hours and hours researching, gluing, taping, mounting and printing, when I finished hanging the final picture and stood back to look at the work i realized something: displays can only do so much. The most fulfilling and important part of this fellowship is the fact that we have the opportunity to have others share their experiences with us. The time we spend immersed in the diversity of the human experience is more enriching than any amount of research will ever be.
Until next week...in the words of Tim Gunn "Carry on" and "Make it work!"
Ashley
One of the things that I think made this display so difficult to complete (a sentiment that I think may carry through to the rest of our displays and reaches back to the first display) is a want to make sure we are accurately portraying our display subjects. Our displays are very people centered and that adds the extra challenge of being sensitive to cultures that are not our own, and that we may not be well acquainted with. Before we finalize decisions on our displays we like to enlist the help of others who know more. This month we had help from Greg and Debra our friends in Special Collections, IUPUI staff members, and members of the NASA (Native American Student Association) at IUPUI.
With their help I think that we have made this display interesting and informative. However, after spending hours and hours researching, gluing, taping, mounting and printing, when I finished hanging the final picture and stood back to look at the work i realized something: displays can only do so much. The most fulfilling and important part of this fellowship is the fact that we have the opportunity to have others share their experiences with us. The time we spend immersed in the diversity of the human experience is more enriching than any amount of research will ever be.
Until next week...in the words of Tim Gunn "Carry on" and "Make it work!"
Ashley
Friday, November 9, 2007
Taking the Good with the Bad
This morning I came to work a little later than usual and used the UL main entrance to come in. From a distance I saw a tiny yellow post-it note sticking to one of the display cases. I figured that it was an honest mistake and went over to take it down. That is when I noticed that something was written on the post-it: "STOP GAY CELEBRATION". I looked towards the other display case and winced when I saw another little yellow note. This one read: "WHEN DOES GAY (month) CELEBRATION END?.
Reading these notes I felt both upset and empowered. I felt upset because of two things.
1.) I am just generally fed up with intolerance (maybe being intolerant of intolerance is a bit hypocritical of me).
2.) I don't know how to address this problem. I am big on letter writing and speaking up for what I believe, but how do I address a single person and his/her lack of respect for the diverse cultures and experiences of others?
I guess the feeling of empowerment I have at this moment comes from the answer I gave myself for #2: I can't.
The notes that were posted on the display case were not signed. There was no contact information given for whomever wrote the notes and unless they somehow stumble upon this blog, I will never have a chance to sit down and talk with her/him and get a better understanding of his/her position. However, I can feel empowered by knowing that the things we do here can be both educational, thought provoking and hopefully somewhat empowering to people from under/misrepresented cultures.
There are many people who do not believe, as I do, in the equal rights and protections that the Constitution is supposed to provide each United States citizen. That is their right. However, through this fellowship, Trina and I, have and opportunity and obligation to make it known that it is our stance that all people deserve representation. And, though we have limited resources, we will do our best to represent the diversity of the IUPUI community.
In the future I will remain focused on not only displaying diversity on the surface, but also, through the opportunities and endeavors we will seek through this fellowship, immerse myself (as much as I can) in diverse cultures and ideas.
Still loving this job!
Ashley
Reading these notes I felt both upset and empowered. I felt upset because of two things.
1.) I am just generally fed up with intolerance (maybe being intolerant of intolerance is a bit hypocritical of me).
2.) I don't know how to address this problem. I am big on letter writing and speaking up for what I believe, but how do I address a single person and his/her lack of respect for the diverse cultures and experiences of others?
I guess the feeling of empowerment I have at this moment comes from the answer I gave myself for #2: I can't.
The notes that were posted on the display case were not signed. There was no contact information given for whomever wrote the notes and unless they somehow stumble upon this blog, I will never have a chance to sit down and talk with her/him and get a better understanding of his/her position. However, I can feel empowered by knowing that the things we do here can be both educational, thought provoking and hopefully somewhat empowering to people from under/misrepresented cultures.
There are many people who do not believe, as I do, in the equal rights and protections that the Constitution is supposed to provide each United States citizen. That is their right. However, through this fellowship, Trina and I, have and opportunity and obligation to make it known that it is our stance that all people deserve representation. And, though we have limited resources, we will do our best to represent the diversity of the IUPUI community.
In the future I will remain focused on not only displaying diversity on the surface, but also, through the opportunities and endeavors we will seek through this fellowship, immerse myself (as much as I can) in diverse cultures and ideas.
Still loving this job!
Ashley
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Current Buzz at the Fellowship
Kim Sorrell got my brain ticking.....and I decided to list all the web resources I had found and then used to help Ashley and I create the GLBT display cases. I have listed these resources on our Diversity Fellowship group page on Facebook, under the discussion topic "GLBT Resources." This is a great way to incorporate and encourage group members or net surfers to research this topic further - and I have given them a headstart with the resources I have found.
On another note, Ashley and I have an awesome idea and want to launch it as a project during our time here as Fellows. We discovered that we both were interested in the To Mexico With Love program, and we began to wonder if we could incorporate our Fellowship goals (diversity and librarianship) with this trip to Mexico. I mean, it is a program of cultural immersion, education, experience and service learning. So, we wondered, couldn't we possibly help a library in Cuernavaca as a service learning project?? Yes indeed, I believe we can! We just have to ask the right people and do the research!
So we have begun the initial part of our "project." We contacted the Director of Campus & Community Life at IUPUI (Michelle Verduzco) and we discovered that there will be a new service learning site for the trip next summer.......and guess what it is? They want to help build a library for an elementary school in a rural indigenous community!! Isn't this exciting? Ashley and I can put our new skills to the test and definitely help! Ashley and I are very excited to meet with Michelle this Friday, to learn about this new service learning site and to discuss what we can do in preparation for this trip. I believe that once we are filled in on the planning and preparation that has already been accomplished, we can help by finishing the following steps with them. Like, if they need books Ashley and I can start a book drive or see if we can have books donated by scholarly companies, etc. Also, they will need some type of organization process or cataloging system - Ash and I can be trained on this so that we can do that when we are in Mexico. If there are other sources we need to contact to make this happen, then we can help make the connections before next summer! I definitely want to be a part of this planning process! And I am sure there is much to do before next summer...
Also, Ash has this brilliant idea: Receive training on how to write grant/funding proposals and letters. We learned that the UL External Relations team does a lot of this, along with public relations work. But instead of "stepping on their toes" we can be trained, practice, and then write proposals to see if we can receive funding for this trip (it costs around $2,000 per person). This will be another great opportunity to utilize new skills that we will learn as Fellows.
When Ash and I do go (I am saying "when" instead of "if" because I am going to stay positive about this), we want to record our experiences and activities so that when we return we can use it for our end-of-the-year display/project. (We are supposed to make a project at the end of the year to display what diversity means to us....or what we learned throughout the Fellowship). I think that the pictures, tokens, artifacts, journals, etc. that we bring back will be great resources and assets for our final project.
In the meantime, until Friday....Ash and I have been working on submitting scholarly work to Idea (an IUPUI digital archive) and gathering information for our National American Indian Heritage Month displays......
♥,
Trina
On another note, Ashley and I have an awesome idea and want to launch it as a project during our time here as Fellows. We discovered that we both were interested in the To Mexico With Love program, and we began to wonder if we could incorporate our Fellowship goals (diversity and librarianship) with this trip to Mexico. I mean, it is a program of cultural immersion, education, experience and service learning. So, we wondered, couldn't we possibly help a library in Cuernavaca as a service learning project?? Yes indeed, I believe we can! We just have to ask the right people and do the research!
So we have begun the initial part of our "project." We contacted the Director of Campus & Community Life at IUPUI (Michelle Verduzco) and we discovered that there will be a new service learning site for the trip next summer.......and guess what it is? They want to help build a library for an elementary school in a rural indigenous community!! Isn't this exciting? Ashley and I can put our new skills to the test and definitely help! Ashley and I are very excited to meet with Michelle this Friday, to learn about this new service learning site and to discuss what we can do in preparation for this trip. I believe that once we are filled in on the planning and preparation that has already been accomplished, we can help by finishing the following steps with them. Like, if they need books Ashley and I can start a book drive or see if we can have books donated by scholarly companies, etc. Also, they will need some type of organization process or cataloging system - Ash and I can be trained on this so that we can do that when we are in Mexico. If there are other sources we need to contact to make this happen, then we can help make the connections before next summer! I definitely want to be a part of this planning process! And I am sure there is much to do before next summer...
Also, Ash has this brilliant idea: Receive training on how to write grant/funding proposals and letters. We learned that the UL External Relations team does a lot of this, along with public relations work. But instead of "stepping on their toes" we can be trained, practice, and then write proposals to see if we can receive funding for this trip (it costs around $2,000 per person). This will be another great opportunity to utilize new skills that we will learn as Fellows.
When Ash and I do go (I am saying "when" instead of "if" because I am going to stay positive about this), we want to record our experiences and activities so that when we return we can use it for our end-of-the-year display/project. (We are supposed to make a project at the end of the year to display what diversity means to us....or what we learned throughout the Fellowship). I think that the pictures, tokens, artifacts, journals, etc. that we bring back will be great resources and assets for our final project.
In the meantime, until Friday....Ash and I have been working on submitting scholarly work to Idea (an IUPUI digital archive) and gathering information for our National American Indian Heritage Month displays......
♥,
Trina
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