13
Nov
2017

Libraries supporting social inclusion for refugees and immigrants

categories: academic library, announcement, digital citizenship

http://blog.stcloudstate.edu/refugeesandmigrants/

Libraries supporting social inclusion for refugees and immigrants

UNESCO emphasizes the importance of social inclusion for international
migrants and encourages cities and local governments to “ensure social rights
for migrants to adequate housing, education, health and social care, welfare
and decent standard of living according to basic needs such as food, energy
and water.” Libraries can play an important role in helping new arrivals
acclimate and thrive in a new community.
Do you have a story to share about how your library, on its own or in
collaboration with community organizations, is providing social services and
support for refugees and immigrants? Do you have advice on creating successful
programming to support refugees and immigrants?

Proposal to the SCSU library administration:

Good afternoon,

I will be submitting a proposal about my individual work in that area:

In the fall of 2015, I organized a campus-wide meeting, including St. Cloud community members, on refugees and migrants, by inviting one Syrian and one Somali refugees:

I also reached out across campus (e.g. Dan Wildeson with the Holocaust Center, Geoffrey Tabakin, Stephen Philion).

I organized also the online presence by delivering the personal stories of three refugees:

http://blog.stcloudstate.edu/refugeesandmigrants/2015/09/19/personal-stories/

and organizing and maintain a blog on the issue of refugees and migrants: http://blog.stcloudstate.edu/refugeesandmigrants/2015/09/19/personal-stories/

In 2017, I proposed and taught a class on Migration : http://web.stcloudstate.edu/pmiltenoff/hons221/ . I proposed the same class for the Honors program.

I also maintain a FB group for the class and in conjunction with the blog (you need to request permission to enter the FB group): https://www.facebook.com/groups/hons221

I am formally proposing / requesting to transition my individual efforts and offering the library to support me in expanding my acitivies on this topic

Here is my rational:

  • If not on campus, at least in the library, I am the only refugee and for that matter an immigrant. I have the understanding and the compassion of someone, who personally have experienced the hardship of being and immigrant and refugee.
  • I have amounted information and experience presenting the information and engaging the audience in a discussion regarding a rather controversial (for St. Cloud) issue
  • I have the experience and skills to conduct such discussions both F2F and online

Based on my rational, here are activities I am proposing:

  • The library supports a monthly F2F meetings, where I am taking the responsibility to host students with refugee and/or migrant status and facilitate a conversation among those students and other students, faculty, staff, who would like to learn more about the topic and discuss related issues.
    • Library support constitutes of: e.g. necessary information willingly and actively shared at Reference and Circulation desk. Library faculty and staff willingly and actively promoting the information regarding this opportunity when occasions arise.
  • The library supports my campus-wide efforts to engage faculty, staff and students. Engagement includes: e.g.,  proposals to faculty to present in their classes on including refugees and immigrants but related to their classes; assisting students with research and bibliography on their papers related to refugees and immigrants; assisting faculty and students with presentations including refugees and immigrants etc.
    • Library support constitutes of: e.g. necessary information willingly and actively shared at Reference and Circulation desk. Library faculty and staff willingly and actively promoting the information regarding this opportunity when occasions arise.

Leave a Reply