Promoting Harmony in a Diverse Community

1
Promoting Harmony in a Diverse Community

• Jean Foster
• Windsor Public Library
• Iole Iadipaolo
• New Canadians Centre of Excellence Inc.

2
Our CommunityWindsor ON

• Population 216,473
• Land Area (sq. km.) 146.1
• Population Density 1,473.5
• Median Family Income 62,887
• Non-Official Mother Tongue
  30
• 1 Arabic 2 South Asian 3 Chinese
• Immigrants 28
• Unemployment gt 10
• Major Industry Automotive
• Education HS or less 54

3
Promoting Diversityin Windsor

• Harmony Ribbon
• Carrousel of Nations
• World Refugee Day
• Multicultural Day
• Anti-Racism Day
• CMARD (Canadian Coalition of Municipalities
  Against Racism and Discrimination)
• Race and Ethno-Cultural Committee

4
How We Have Changed1996 - 2006
5
Path to SuccessWPL NCCE Inc

• Joint Summer Programs for children
• Community Celebrations
• SWIS workers in libraries summer pilot
• Staff roles detailed
• Library demographics
• Hours of service demand

Making the road by walking it. Anonymous
6
Who We Are

• NCCE Inc. is a community based, direct-service
  agency with exists to assist, support and promote
  the full and equitable participation of
  immigrants and refugees in all aspects of social,
  cultural and economic life in the Windsor-Essex
  region.
• WPL Universal Access to the Universe of Ideas
  Windsor Public Library exists so that residents
  of Windsor and those who own or rent property in
  Windsor have information, recreation and enriched
  lives.
• Working together since 2001

7
Our StrengthsWPL

• Safe, Free, Easy to find
• Neighbourhood branches
• Community Celebrations / Meeting Place
• Collections in 25 languages free Internet access
• e-Resources for living and learning in Canada
• Leisure Activities Programs for all ages

8
Our StrengthsNCCE Inc.

• Settlement program successes
• Employment services
• Language training
• Youth programs
• Child Care services
• Translation services
• Community Outreach through multi Windsor-Essex
  sites

9
Library Settlement Program

• LSP offers a unique and innovative Newcomer
  Information Service at libraries in 11
  communities throughout Ontario Windsors
  history of providing services to newcomers
  through NCCE Inc and WPL predated the 2006 pilot
  LSP programs in Toronto, Ottawa and Hamilton.
  Implementation of the LSP model in Windsor at 3
  public library branches in 2007 was a natural
  evolution of service delivery for our diverse
  community.

10
Working Together

• CIC Canadian Immigration Citizenship
• NCCE New Canadians Centre of Excellence, Inc
• WPL Windsor Public Library

11
in Windsor

• Signage and promotional materials professionally
  developed by CIC
• Permanent workstation space for LSP workers
• Additional resources for libraries focused on
  newcomer needs
• Services in Windsor include Occasional Childcare
  for newcomer families while the adults talk with
  a settlement worker or attend information
  sessions and events.
• Specialized customer service training
• Data collection

12
in Windsor

• Special Events
• Twas the Nite before Christmas
• World Refugee Day
• Coming Soon Chinese New Year, Persian New Year

13
Benefits for our Community

• Community Capacity Building
• Family Literacy
• Citizen Engagement
• Economic Development

14
Community Capacity Building

• Information referral
• Social and cultural interaction
• Intra-cultural understanding
• Community integration

When positive relationships are nurtured and
sustained, the relationship creates benefits for
the entire community Reza Shahbazi ED NCCE Inc
15
Family Literacy

• Programs for children and caregivers
• Mother Goose
• Childrens storytimes
• Arts and crafts
• Book Buddies Homework Help

Library cards are FREE

• Resources
• Dual Language books
• introduce English preserve native language
• Literacy resources varied reading levels
• Books on CD
• English proficiency preparation
• Career / accreditation resources
• Current events international newspapers

16
Citizen Engagement

• Government documents professional librarian
  guidance available
• Community speakers
• Current events newspapers magazines
• Municipal information releases documents
• Provide feedback through municipal surveys

Libraries are places where citizens can
engage in quiet reflection and study, able to
pursue their own intellectual projects and
personal growth free of the commercial pressures
and ideological positions that permeate almost
every other aspect of life. Three Perspectives
on Libraries as Public Space by Gloria J. Leckie
17
Economic Development

• Professional Resources
• NCCE Inc Global Business Centre
• Training
• Accreditation
• WPL Research Resources
• Databases for learning, business current events
• Librarians in person or online chat

18
Contact Us

• Iole Iadipaolo
• SWIS Manager
• New Canadians Centre of Excellence Inc.
• iiadipaolo_at_ncce1.org

• Jean Foster
• Acting CEO
• Windsor Public Library
• jfoster_at_windsorpubliclibrary.com