How do we communicate with patrons that have sets of communication skills? What is considered polite or what are some things we shouldn't do.
This is a pretty broad topic so I came up with a few examples to get us started but hopefully this topic will grow.
Non English Speaking - Effective ways to let them know we are trying to understand them or getting someone who speaks their language and can help them more effectively without giving them a feeling that we are abandoning them.
Deaf - If they have an interpreter do you speak to them or the interpreter? Is it ok to tap them on their shoulder?
Adults with child level communication skills - Effective ways to share information with them in language they will understand.
I'll look for inforamtion on these topics but if anyone has information to share or other communication topics please share them with the group.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
Reminder for the next Special Pops meeting on 1/28
Just a quick reminder that the next Special Pops meeting will be held in the public meeting room at Admin from 8:00 to 9:30 on Jan. 28. We expect to post the agenda to the blog ahead of the meeting.
See you there!
See you there!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Diversity Committee and the Chamber
Holly Whelan and I have begun participating in the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce’s (SMDCC) Diversity Committee.
The Mission Statement of the committee is as follows: The SMDCC focuses on developing the diversity of our membership, as well as the diversity of the chamber leadership by raising the awareness of diversity issues and working to create a positive environment for business opportunities between minority owned, women owned, and all businesses in the South Metro Denver area.
The overriding goal of the committee is to serve as a resource on business-related diversity issues. This includes assisting minority-owned businesses, helping companies to diversify their work-force, and assisting in marketing to diverse populations. What is most surprising to me about the committee is that it is the only one of its kind in the area. As it stands now, there are no other regional groups or task forces devoted solely to the issues of diversity in business.
So what are we librarians doing on the committee, you ask? Well, there is the clear synergy between the committee’s goals and the library’s many business resources. We’ll be able to assist the committee in its efforts to serve as a resource. We can help find information, leads, stats, etc. We’ll also be joining sub-committees to help organize events. These events will help raise the visibility of the committee, not to mention the visibility of the library and its services for businesses.
The group is somewhat new and seems to be growing. Our involvement on the committee is new as well, so we’ll be learning a lot as we interact with area businesses and participate on projects.
Projects of the committee in 2009 will include a Leadership Breakfast, Business Roundtable, and the creation of articles for the Chamber's quarterly South Metro Denver Business Magazine. I’ll post again with updates as they arise.
Here is a link to the Diversity Committee’s web page (which will be expanded in 2009 too!): http://www.bestchamber.com/groups-committees/diversity-committee.html
The Mission Statement of the committee is as follows: The SMDCC focuses on developing the diversity of our membership, as well as the diversity of the chamber leadership by raising the awareness of diversity issues and working to create a positive environment for business opportunities between minority owned, women owned, and all businesses in the South Metro Denver area.
The overriding goal of the committee is to serve as a resource on business-related diversity issues. This includes assisting minority-owned businesses, helping companies to diversify their work-force, and assisting in marketing to diverse populations. What is most surprising to me about the committee is that it is the only one of its kind in the area. As it stands now, there are no other regional groups or task forces devoted solely to the issues of diversity in business.
So what are we librarians doing on the committee, you ask? Well, there is the clear synergy between the committee’s goals and the library’s many business resources. We’ll be able to assist the committee in its efforts to serve as a resource. We can help find information, leads, stats, etc. We’ll also be joining sub-committees to help organize events. These events will help raise the visibility of the committee, not to mention the visibility of the library and its services for businesses.
The group is somewhat new and seems to be growing. Our involvement on the committee is new as well, so we’ll be learning a lot as we interact with area businesses and participate on projects.
Projects of the committee in 2009 will include a Leadership Breakfast, Business Roundtable, and the creation of articles for the Chamber's quarterly South Metro Denver Business Magazine. I’ll post again with updates as they arise.
Here is a link to the Diversity Committee’s web page (which will be expanded in 2009 too!): http://www.bestchamber.com/groups-committees/diversity-committee.html
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