open minds. open doors. tm cross-cultural awareness for the reference desk richenda wilkinson &...

Open minds. Open doors.TM

Cross-Cultural Awareness For the Reference Desk

Richenda Wilkinson & Margaret Mellinger

Oregon State University Libraries

Poster Presentation for

ACRL 12th National Conference,

Minneapolis, April 7-10, 2005.


What is cultural awareness?



“Culture is the shared assumptions, values, and beliefs of a group of people which result in characteristic behaviors.”

(Storti, 1999)



Culture can be visualized as an iceberg… 10% of it is visible above the water (behaviors), and 90% of it is hidden under the water (assumptions, values, and beliefs that drive behaviors).


Cross-cultural awareness is a developed sense of the impact that cultural background and differences have on our social interactions. It implies a commitment to creating an environment that supports members of underrepresented groups, and that encourages multiculturalism and continuous learning about ourselves and others. (adapted from Winston, 1995).


Stages of Cultural Awareness

Storti (1999)



• Unconscious incompetence (blissful ignorance)

• Conscious incompetence (troubling ignorance)

• Conscious competence (deliberate sensitivity)

• Unconscious competence (spontaneous sensitivity)



• Unconscious incompetence (blissful ignorance)

Unaware of cultural differences; Unaware of the possibility of making cultural mistakes or misinterpreting others’ behavior. Have no reason at this stage not to trust your intuition.



• Conscious incompetence (troubling ignorance)

Realize there are cultural differences; unsure of what the differences are and how numerous or deep they may be. Unsure of your intuition.



• Conscious competence (deliberate sensitivity)Know there are cultural differences, and what some of them are; try to modify your own behavior to be sensitive to differences; Have to make a conscious effort; know you can figure out what to do if you can remain objective



• Unconscious competence (spontaneous sensitivity)

No longer have to think about what you are doing in order to be culturally sensitive (in a culture you know well); culturally appropriate behavior comes naturally; you can trust your intuition because it has been reconditioned by what you know about cross-cultural interactions.


Creating Effective Diversity Training Programs



1 Obtain top level support

For any diversity initiative to succeed, leadership must provide a commitment to the process. Diversity training and cross-cultural awareness fit very well with library missions and professional practices.



2 Research best practices

There are many wonderful books and articles available. We have provided some of these in our bibliography.



3 Identify partners

Identify the agencies, groups or individuals in your community with whom you might partner for training, or tap as consultants or facilitators.



4 Conduct a needs assessmentA needs assessment instrument can be used to determine the focus of the training program. The developmental level of the participants is important. Assess the group’s current needs and attitudes and readiness. Understand the demographics and the needs of your community.



5 Develop objectives

Based on the needs assessment, decide what the focus of the training will be.



6 Design informational and transformational programs

An example of informational programs would be communicating the mission, policies, procedures and service ethic of the library to new employees. Transformation programs are those that provide opportunities for employees to develop their cross-cultural skills, attitudes or beliefs.



7 Use various methods and mediaIf the focus of your training is skills, you might use role playing, communication exercises, storytelling, videos, simulations, vignettes, etc. For building knowledge and awareness, you might use short readings, self-assessments, or presentations by expert guest speakers. If your focus is on attitudes and beliefs you bring in outside facilitators to lead the group through exercises and discussions.



8 Allow participants to establish ground rules for behavior

Diversity issues are complex, and people need a safe space to explore them. Encourage participants to be open to different ideas and to refrain from personal attacks on others.



9 Assess the effectiveness of the training

Ask the participants to evaluate their knowledge and cultural awareness before and after training sessions to determine if the objectives are met.



10 Realize that training is a long- term process

Cross-cultural awareness doesn’t happen in one session, so training should be viewed as ongoing, integral part of orientation and continuing education in the library.


Self-Assessment Checklist for Cross-Cultural Communication


• I speak slowly, audibly and distinctly. • I keep my sentence structure and vocabulary simple.• I avoid jargon or slang.• I allow extra time to communicate with someone whose

first language is not mine.• I am sensitive to the emotional state of library users.• I appreciate different ways of communicating.• I do not judge people on their accents or language

fluency.• When I experience frustration or sense conflict in a

cross-cultural situation, I ask myself, “What’s really going on here?”

• I consider the effect of cultural difference on messages being transmitted and I check my assumptions.

• I adapt my style to the demands of the situation.• I listen as much as I speak; I do not interrupt.

Self-Assessment Checklist


Self-Assessment Checklist • I rephrase the library user’s question to be sure I understand.• I check to see if I have been understood, and I rephrase and

repeat my answers and instructions as needed. • I am objective and neutral when handling reference requests.• I like to learn as much as possible about other cultures,

especially those of members of my community.• I am aware of resources within my community that serve

international students, visitors, workers, and citizens.• I am aware of services for persons with disabilities.• I look for ways to improve library services to

underrepresented groups.• I understand that politeness, consideration, caring and

sensitivity can yield positive responses in all people.• I treat all library users with the same high level of respect,

attention, and courtesy.•

(adapted from Liu, 1995; and Valuing Diversity Part III, 1987.)


OSU Libraries’ ProgressWhat we have done thus far:• Gained top-level support• Researched best practices

– on campus, in the library literature and in corporate, training and social science literature.

• Identified partners on campus– Team Liberation

http://oregonstate.edu/groups/teamliberation/– Office of Diversity – Affirmative Action Program– Difference Power and Discrimination program– Ethnic Studies department– Multicultural, Women and GLBT Centers– Committed to Diversity committees of the OSU Office of

Diversity – Several individuals on campus known for expertise in

diversity training

http://oregonstate.edu/groups/teamliberation/


OSU Libraries’ Progress

What’s next? • Institutional Review Board Approval• Needs Assessment• Develop a training program and

schedule – Embedded in students’ current training– Diversity training and lecture series open

to all staff and faculty

• Assessment


Bibliography

Selected Bibliography<http://www.oregonstate.edu/~mellinma/ACRL2005/bibliography.doc>

http://www.oregonstate.edu/~mellinma/ACRL2005/bibliography.doc

open minds. open doors. tm cross-cultural awareness for the reference desk richenda wilkinson &...

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