The racial and cultural make-up of America as it enters the 21st century looks nothing like it did as the country entered the 20th century. Immigration from Europe dictated the demographics for 100 years between 1850 and 1950. Since 1950, people from Central and South America and other non-European nations has replaced most of the European migration. As the face of the country has changed over the past 50 years, accommodating this new influx remains an ongoing challenge to public librarians, especially in Illinois, which is among the top five states in Hispanic population.
Highwood has a population of approximately 5,000. People of both Italian and Hispanic ethnicity comprise the vast majority of the populace. The community is on Lake Michigan about 30 miles north of Chicago.
In order to realize the dream of a Cultural Resource Exchange Center, the staff at Highwood Public Library applied for and received a Library Services Construction Act (LSTA) federal grant for $25,000 that is administered by the Illinois State Library.
The Cultural Resource Center physical layout consisted of remodeling what had been a storage area, outfitted with new shelving, track lighting, a reference desk, a computer center, a listening and reviewing center, a large gallery wall to display fine art prints, and a new display case. The display case provides room for materials in all formats reflecting the main cultural heritage of the community.
An ESL Collection, (English as a second language) includes cassettes, videos, CD ROM materials and three computers, two with Internet access. On one of the computers, the Web page is in Spanish. The latest in CD ROM software helps users learn a variety of foreign languages and programs that translate one language to another. Another highlight is an audio/visual center for listening to music and viewing videos of cultural interest. Display cases and exhibit areas are made available for community groups. There is also a small meeting area for literacy classes and other community groups.
The Center opened September 24th 1999. A two-hour reception drew about 75 people. Library Director Joan Retnauer, who also served as Project Director for the grant, said response to the Center, "has been terrific. The English as a second language program, especially at the intermediate level, has really taken off. Members of the local Rotary Club serves as a tutors. They have formed a partnership trying to closely match the occupations of local Rotarians with Hispanics. Hispanic students are bringing in parents, not only to acquaint them with the Center, but also in order to get a library card, usually for both.
We have purchased really nice materials," she said. "We want people to have a sense that this is their community. We’re concentrating on art as well as bilingual materials with translation programs. This is the first grant of this kind that we have gotten. We’re going to be going from here and purchasing additional materials every year to expand our collection."
Retnauer says her next project is to bring both the Hispanic and Italian communities into a closer partnership in the Cultural Resource Exchange Center.
(For further information about this grant contact Joan Retnauer, Highwood Public Library, 102 Highwood Ave., Highwood, Il. 60040-1579, Telephone 847-432-5404, e-mail jretnauer@juno.com
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