Values in the multicultural library

1. Values in the multicultural library Silje Grøtan Torp Oppland County Library

2. Vestre Toten Public Library • A small library with limited resources. • Initiate and participate in multicultural projects. • The only one public library in a municipality with almost 14 000 inhabitants. • Approximately 6 % of the population are either immigrants or born in Norway by immigrant parents. There`s also an asylum reception centre with 130 people. • Totally refurbished with furnishings from the library concept Opening The Book.

3. “Everyone who enters the library shall be treated equally”

4. What are our values? • Our objectives are manifestations of our values. Another manifestation of our common values, are laws and legislations. • In Norway we have the Library Actdefining the responsibilities and objectives of the public library • § 1 of the Library Act, the so called mission statement says: §1 Objectives Public libraries shall be responsible for promoting knowledge, education and other cultural activities by active dissemination and by making available books and other media, free of charge, to everyone residing in Norway. Public libraries shall be an independent meeting place and forum for public conversation and debate. Each library shall in its services to children and adults stress the importance of providing high-quality, comprehensive and up-to-date material. The content and services of the libraries shall be publicized. Public libraries are a part of a national library system. (partly my translation)

5. The Multicultural Library Manifesto The IFLA Governing Board approved in 2006 the Multicultural Library Manifesto and it got adopted by UNESCO at its 35th Session in 2009.  The manifesto represents librarians worldwide. Principles: Each individual in our global society has the right to a full range of library and information services. In addressing cultural and linguistic diversity, libraries should: • serve all members of the community without discrimination based on cultural and linguistic heritage; • provide information in appropriate languages and scripts; • give access to a broad range of materials and services reflecting all communities and needs; • employ staff to reflect the diversity of the community, who are trained to work with and serve diverse communities. Library and information services in a culturally and linguistically diverse context include both the provision of services to all types of library users and the provision of library services specifically targeted to underserved cultural and linguistic groups. Special attention should be paid to groups which are often marginalized in culturally diverse societies: minorities, asylum seekers and refugees, residents with a temporary residence permit, migrant workers, and indigenous communities.

6. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 1: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. Article 2: Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty. Article 19: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. Article 27: (1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.

7. Culture, inclusion and participation Our last government published a white paper called Culture, inclusion and participation in 2011. This is an important document acknowledging how important libraries are for inclusion and participation in society.

8. Adult Learning Centres • The Adult learning centre is a part of the municipalities introduction program for immigrants • The introduction programme is governed by the provisions of the Act on an introduction programme and Norwegian language training for newly arrived immigrants, the Introduction Act. • Provides tuition in the Norwegian language and social studies for immigrants • The tuition comprises 550 hours of instruction in the Norwegian language and 50 hours of social studies in a language the participants understand • The local authorities are also obliged to offer those who come under the rule of the right and obligation or right to tuition up to another 2400 hours of instruction if needed. • Prepare the participant for further education or access to working life • The Introduction program last for 2 years and the participants are supported financially this period • All municipalities in Norway have an Adult Learning Centre Leaflet in English about the Introduction program

9. Global Door Openers 2 – Storytelling, a multicultural library project • A project initiated by Oppland County Library, funded by The National Library • The project is a follow up on a previous multicultural project called Global Door Openers 1 • One of the aims of the project is to use Storytelling as a method to improve dialogue between the majority and minority population • 10 public libraries in Oppland County participate in the project in 2013 • Each participating library has their own angle on the project, but the dialogue between majorities and minorities is important

10. The Storytelling project in Vestre Toten Public Library • Started up reading groups for immigrants in cooperation with the Adult Learning Centre in 2012 • Will start up storytelling groups for immigrants winter 2013/2014. • They have made an agreement with the local branch of the national broadcaster NRK to record some of the immigrant`s stories and broadcast them on the radio. • The Storytelling groups will be run by a professional storyteller with experience form similar projects • To broadcast the stories, contributes to the dialogue aspect of the project. It gives the immigrants a public voice and an opportunity to use their freedom of speech. • The cooperation with the Adult Learning Centre is important in recruiting participants to the project and to find people with enough language skills to be able to participate. They will also use some of the time in the Norwegian language tuition class to work on the project.

11. Supported by a grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants and co-financed by the Polish funds.