The following are some of the questions we brain-stormed to use in the online survey. In the end, we used approximately seventy-five percent of them.
1. Can you list the three largest populations of non-English speaking and non-French speaking people in the area served by your library? Beside each group, please note how many people you think there are who speak this language in your service area.
2. For each of these three languages, tell me how many books your library has in that language, and what other materials you have collected to represent these ethnic populations? What types of books do you collect to represent these different ethnic backgrounds?
3. If financial constraints were not an issue, how many books would you like to have in each of these three languages in your library, and what other materials have you identified as being important to make up a solid collection for these groups of patrons?
4. How do you currently select which books to buy in these three foreign languages?
5. What tools do you use for collecting foreign language materials? For example, do you utilize local foreign language specialty bookstores? Specialized publishers? Do you incorporate innovative sources such as web sites and online databases?
6. What are you doing to complement your foreign language book collections? Do you collect music CDs and audiocassettes, instructional audiovisual materials on foreign languages, periodicals, audio books, videocassettes, and newspapers in non-English and non-French languages?
7. Are you aware that there are Internet resources that have alternative review sources for diverse materials?
8. What other ways have you identified that your library could use to go about selecting materials in these foreign languages?
9. Are you aware of any special grants to help augment collections of diverse materials? Has your library applied for such grants?
10. Has your library developed a collection of staff development resources on issues of diversity and multiculturalism, and incorporated these materials into staff training and staff meetings?
11. Is your library developing a library work force that is reflective of the diverse population you serve?
12. Does your library provide diversity training to staff, and include issues of culture and cross-cultural communication? Have you worked with a trainer or facilitator who specializes in racism awareness or cultural diversity training?
13. Is there anyone who works or volunteers in your library who speaks each of these languages? Indicate whether they work or volunteer, and how many?
14. Has your library run user surveys to target non-native English speakers through point-of-contact surveys?
15. Do you include customers in the ongoing assessment and evolution of language materials and collections that support diversity?
16. What other ways have you identified that your library could use to go about selecting materials in these foreign languages? What types of books do you collect to represent different ethnic backgrounds?
17. Can you say something about your outreach efforts? Has the library staff created liaisons or developed community partnerships with the various ethnic, linguistic, cultural, and religious groups and organizations that are in your service area to help shape collections that meet the needs of our diverse population?