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=**Cuban American Resources Wiki for Rhode Island Public Libraries**= University of Rhode Island Summer 2010
 * LSC 525

Created by:**

**Amie Jones**
//**How our group was formed**, **our method of communication**// //**and shared responsibilities**//**:**

This group came together with the shared goal of creating a thoughtful, well executed wiki that sought to begin to address the library wants and needs for Cuban Americans in Rhode Island. After deciding to create a wiki for our project, each group member began researching the Cuban-American population through books and websites which are listed in our Bibliography/Webography.

Each topic to be researched was then noted on our home page of the wiki. Once the wiki was created, each group member contributed by supplying information on a daily basis. Instead of assigning individual tasks, each group member chose sections to work on with our own unique knowledge.

Whenever someone added information to the wiki, we would then communicate with each other by stating which section was added and then asked for the other members to review and revise as needed. The communication in our group was outstanding. We communicated with notes in the wiki and also through Sakai daily. As far as the decision making process, each member would check with the group regarding questions and concerns regarding information sought and supplied to the wiki. Every member would contribute their input before proceeding to accomplish our tasks.

Although we all have different schedules, the wiki worked well because we were able to supply information at any time of the day that was convenient. We did not experience many challenges throughout the project. We worked and communicated very well in an effort to create a project that we feel is a combined effort of our research, knowledge and shared interest in the Cuban-American population.

We each learned a great deal in working on this project.

Amie: So often the media discusses the Hispanic bloc of voters, or Latinos in America - but in grouping so many ethnicities, nationalities, and cultures together, they create the impression that these diverse cultures are all the same. In reality, there are differences even within one culture - one only has to look at the three waves of Cuban immigration to see this. Consider the Spanish language and its variants from area to area. If we assume Spanish is Spanish is Spanish, we do not realize that the same word, spoken to people of different backgrounds, has different meaning. We do not realize that even if we are trying to catalog items in Spanish, we still need to think about how, and who we are serving. While there are technical issues in cataloging various languages, it has been inspiring to learn about those librarians who are not afraid to fail, all in the quest to serve their patrons and the broader community. Be it through services such as those offered through the Queens library, or through trying to come up with LC headings or a Sears equivalent in Spanish, there are many who are trying to continue to meet the needs of ALL of their patrons.

I had some basic general knowledge of the Cuban migration to the U.S., but I did not know the details, nor the way it has evolved. I was unfamiliar with the three major waves of immigration and the demographics of said waves. Also, while I knew that a great number of Cubans and Cuban Americans were/are concentrated in and around Miami, I did not realize what a significant percentage this was of the Cubano community as a whole.

Charlotte: A project of this type has helped me to gain a better understanding of ways in which libraries may provide programs and services to diverse populations. The best way is to research their backgrounds and then study the demographics of the community. This is the starting point, and I felt I learned about the Cubans, whereas I may not have researched their background if it had not been for a purpose. By studying the Cuban background, it was interesting to learn that they have a high regard for higher education. I also found it surprising that the first independent library in Cuba was not formed until 1998. It is our duty as professional librarians to use portions of our library budget to accommodate diverse populations, in this case the Cuban-Americans, by ordering materials and offering services such as ESL classes that meet their needs. This in turn will help them to feel welcome and comfortable when entering all libraries.

Monica: As a school media library student, I have a vested interest in school, academic, and public libraries. Each library serves an important function in children's lives. It is my sincere hope that each child in America have the opportunity to experience all three types of libraries in their lifetime. As evidenced in this wiki, the public library has the potential and the ability to serve an important function in the lives of Latinos and specifically Cuban-Americans. I also hope that public, as well as school and academic, continue to focus on the needs of Latinos and specifically Cuban-Americans. As a result of working on this project, I have learned about the unique needs of Latino, and specifically Cuban-American, patrons. I have also learned more about locating reference sources that address the specific needs of multicultural patrons. Finally, I learned about the dire need to bring authentic and well-considered multicultural resources to all library patrons.

Ryan: This project did much to further my understanding of Cuban Americans and the importance of serving a diverse population in a library. I was able to discover the importance of providing distinct services to immigrant populations such as this. Immigration information, ESL, and cultural enrichment are services that many Latin / Cuban Americans desperately need and would not have access to without the help of a public library, such as the one detailed in our wiki. As a future academic librarian I hope to use many of the things I've learned about Cuban Americans to facilitate understanding of this population as they entire my academic library. Another important piece of information I learned is the increasing amount of distributors, publishers, cultural groups, and reference material that is available not only on Cuban Americans but most other minority groups as well. Overall, this project served to increase my understanding of the Cuban American population and the importance of working with different groups to make them feel comfortable and accepted in a particular community.

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