College and Research Libraries ROBERT P. HARO Academic Library Services for Mexican Americans Academic libraries are being asked to respond to the needs of yet an- other ethnic minority group, Chicanos-the second largest minority in America. While their demands on the university library may seem confusing, they represent a search for identity and recognition, and a legitimate call for help. Interestingly enough, some institutions have responded with highly imaginative and progressive service programs, and even initiated recruiting projects to encourage Chicanos to work in libraries or become librarians. Other institutions have done little or nothing in this area, merely perpetuating a condition of mistrust and adding to the rhetoric of institutional racism. On the whole, however, it seems appropriate to ventilate whatever anger may exist in the Chicano community toward academic libraries and bring to the attention of this group the types of successful programs that librari- ans have developed to address their unique needs. Perhaps these pro- grams will also serve as models and encouragement for other academ- ic librarians across this country . THE ACADEMIC LIBRARY, traditionally the support service mechanism for teaching and research programs at insti- tutions of higher learning, is slowly but surely being affected by the dramatic trends of ethnic relations and is being forced to clarify and define its role toward the various minority communi- ties. An undercurrent of frustration among the various minorities has swept through colleges and universities. In the wake of sometimes-violent protests and confrontations, new and urgent issues have been raised on the campus which tend to pull the library into a more ac- tive role in supporting the cultural sur- vival and encouraging the equality of Robert P.' Haro is associate university li- brarian, Edward L. Dohe ny M emorial Li- brary, University of Southern California. academic opportunity for ethnic minor- ities. As of this date, university libraries, particularly those located in the Far West and Southwest, are in danger of being overwhelmed both by the qualita- tive change in their role with respect to support services to Mexican American studies and by the quantitative burden of literally thousands of new students at all levels who are seeking and de- manding new library materials.1 What at present is merely a crisis may soon · turn into a disaster, if certain inadequa- cies of university libraries with respect to this minority group are not under- stood and resolved with appropriate li- brary acquisition and service programs. Perhaps a brief discussion of the background leading to the present situa- tion will b e enlightening. In his excel- lent article, "Montezuma's children," Philip D. Ortego wrote: Only recently have Mexican Ameri- cans begun to receive significant atten- tion in this country, though they are the second largest minority group in the nation . They constitute the single largest linguistic group. Most Mexican Americans (seven million) live in the five state area of Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona and California. The largest single concentration is in Los Angeles. 2 While Ortego is correct in stating that most of the Mexican Americans live in the Far West and Southwest, two impor- tant facts must be borne in mind: 80 percent of the Mexican American popu- lation is urbanized, and there are large and growing concentrations of Mexican Americans in metropolitan areas outside of the five aforementioned states.:! The ethnic insurgence and pressure for identity has created an activist stu- dent sector in the Mexican American community. 4 On many university cam- puses they number in the hundreds and are kept in an aggressive mood by a small cadre of staff and faculty with a liberal influx of barrio leaders and workers . The appearance of these stu- dents has been sudden and their de- mands on university libraries disturbing. Many library administrators have felt themselves at the point of the lance and have given ground more because of the pressure than because of any under- standing of what is occurring in these ethnic universes. The students are mak- ing new demands on the academic li- brary that may seem strident, impulsive and economically impossible to some, but in fact they have a core of pro- found significance for the very future of the ethnic minority groups-Blacks, American Indians, Asian Americans, and Chicanos-and for American socie- ty as a whole.:; University library admin- istrators, where they have been willing to act, have improvised responses to stu- dent pressure, some with the aim of gaining time, some with token gestures Academic Library Services I 455 in the hope that this potentially trou- blesome and explosive problem may be defused. A minuscule number of li- brary administrators have refused to take any action whatsoever, believing the crisis will pass if ignored. Just what is it that the Mexican American students demand of the uni- versity library? Briefly, most Mexican American students, particularly those with language or educational back- ground problems, realize that their chances of success within as competitive a setting as a university will be greatly reduced if they are not capable of ef- fectively using the library. It is not that it may be helpful or enriching for Chi- cano students to know about the library; it is simply that it may be impossible for them to succeed without it. There is a peculiar problem in this situation: the sensitivity of Mexican American students to criticism and to failure is even greater than that of the average university student. 6 They are thus less likely to seek direct assistance from the library staff, or to participate actively or effectively in anything so formidable as some of the currently voguish classroom courses offered in library use and bibli- ography. To overcome some of the hesi- tation and uncertainty students may have with regard to the library, three approaches are necessary. First, the li- brary must have the print and nonprint materials necessary to support teaching and research programs related to Mexi- can American culture. Second, it is nec- essary for the library to devise a service program that is as self-directed as pos- sible, which requires a minimum of ver- bal instruction, and which permits the student to proceed at his own pace in understanding and utilizing the library. Third, the use of Mexican American li- brary staff members to work closely with students and faculty in developing the library's collections and service pro- grams is not only desirable but impera- tive.7 456 I College & Research Libraries • November 1972 The specific demands that Mexican American students make on the univer- sity library may be viewed in six cate- gories: ( 1) the expansion of library ser- vice programs, including training in the use of library materials and reference and research methods; ( 2) the purchase of appropriate materials to support the unique needs of Mexican American studies programs; ( 3) the compilatibn of special bibliographies and research lists; ( 4) the adaptation of some of these lists and bibliographies to the pe- culiar academic needs of Chicano stu- dents with language or education back- ground problems or weaknesses; ( 5) the formulation of an outreach policy on the part of library staff to work with a hastily recruited and overworked facul- ty in the ethnic studies area who may not be as aware of or sensitive to the - support services the library can provide; ( 6) the identification of all appropri- ate research publications so as to encour- age and stimulate innovative teaching and advanced research on the part of promising Chicano students and teach- ing faculty. Obviously, additional comments are necessary in regard to each of these cate- gories, particularly if a more precise view of the student-faculty needs and demands is to result. There have been numerous articles about the hesitation that Mexican Americans have in dealing with institutional situations. 8 It is un- fortunate that too few published stud- ies deal with the attitudes and behavior of Mexican American college students toward academic libraries. Concerning the expansion of library service programs, the experience at the University of California, Los Angeles, might serve as a model. Many of the Chicano students at UCLA come from low income families; many have been recruited through economic opportuni- ty and special urban crisis programs. The UCLA faculty and librarians found many students deficient in an awareness of library use and resources. To address this deficiency, a course was designed that would systematically ac- quaint the Mexican American students with the resources of the library. 9 By consensus, the library staff felt that the students could best be served through a course in library methods established specifically for this minority group. Working closely with the appropriate faculty and articulate , students in the Mexican American studies area, the li- brarians developed a rather extensive manual and guidebook for a course on library use. The UCLA course attempts to ac- quaint the student with the reference and research services offered by an aca- demic library. Assignments are specially designed to introduce the students to some of the most frequently-used ref- erence tools. Although somewhat pedes- trian at the beginning level, it is struc- tured to allow considerable expansion and the ready inclusion of more sophis- ticated reference techniques as the stu- dent develops a working knowledge of the methodology and basic works. One must remember that, to many of these students, any kind of library is a highly suspicious and unknown institution. 10 One of the first and most important steps is to overcome the students' hesi- tation and/ or passive attitude toward the library. Although the course is rela- tively new and there has not been suffi- cient time to allow precise measurement of its effectiveness, preliminary feed- back is favorable. Unfortunately, UCLA is one of but five universities currently doing anything in this area. The second demand that Chicano stu- dents make upon a university library re- lates to the ordering of appropriate li- brary materials to support the unique needs of Chicano studies programs. It · is in this area that most academic li- brarians feel reasonably comfortable and initially most react to the students favorably. No single demand, however, is more misunderstood by academic li- brarians. What is it that Chicano stu- dents demand in the way of library ma- terials? Books? ·Periodicals? Pamphlets? Films? Ephemera? Obviously, all of these. But, because few appropriate in- print materials are available, librarians face the immense task of locating and reviewing an enormous quantity of older materials until more "relevant" items are produced. Furthermore, the existing items are frequently looked upon with dismay by librarians who refer to them as "not scholarly" and therefore un- worthy of adding to the university's col- lection. Closely related is the contro- versial nature of the materials. Films may serve as a good example. Perhaps the one most frequently demanded by Mexican American students is I Am I oaquin, a very powerful and dramatic film already the target of much criti- cism and even censorship within the public library sector. 11 Should an aca- demic library buy such a film? If it does, who may view the film and where will it be located? Can the students bor- row the film for presentation in barrio communities as well as in classroom set- tings? It is unfortunate that some aca- demic librarians devise procedural prob- lems to defeat the procurement and utilization of a film they glibly agree is highly "worthwhile." The demand for "relevant" materi- als by Mexican American students often clashes with the standard operating pro- cedures of a library's order department. It is surprising how attached some aca- demic librarians are to large book job- bers and periodical dealers. Considering the neglect that the available Mexican American publications have received, particularly the serial publications, it is a wonder that even some find their way into university libraries. Too many or- der librarians are extremely hesitant to order serial publications from "fly-by- night" outfits, as small Mexican Ameri- can publishers are so often termed. Academic Library Services I 457 Many order librarians in fact seldom, if ever, bother to search for a source for these publications if they are not readily available from an established jobber. Somehow these orders are quiet- ly assigned a low priority and relegated to the limbo frequently known as "in process." What this means, however, is that the legitimate cultural expressions of this minority group, at times indis- pensable for complete portrayal and un- derstanding, are slow to. be secured. I will not attempt to deal with the prob- lems associated with the indexing, cata- loging, and other technical services nec- essary to carry these publications through the library and eventually into the hands of the student or faculty member. Suffice it to say that the road is long and the hurdles many. Assuming that the problems of ac- quiring the materials have been solved and that a continuous stream is flowing into the library, a third problem sur- faces: the compilation of bibliogra- phies and research lists. Because much of the current material relating to Mex- ican American culture falls into the category of ephemera, special indexes and annotated bibliographies are need- ed to make it usable. Ideally, the facul- ty of the Mexican American studies pro- gram and the students themselves should be involved in the planning and opera- tion of such efforts. Several western uni- versities have moved in this direction. Few, however, have assigned a fulltime librarian to such a program. At the Uni- versity of California at Davis campus, an Ethnic Studies librarian's contacts with appropriate departments as well as with the literature are facilitated by the use of students-Black, Chicano, Orien- tal, and American Indian-who func- tion as book selectors, literature search- ers, and linking pins between the library and their respective departments and minority groups. Not only does the li- brary thereby encourage the acquisition of necessary materials, irrespective of 458 I College & Research Libraries • November 1972 format, it also hires minority students and thereby earns their appreciation and trust. Although a good first step, what is really needed is a constantly- updated series of annotated bibliogra- phies. Closely associated with such a service are the latent problems of language de- ficiencies and educational background of many Chicano students. A university library should recognize these problems and take appropriate action to assist stu- dents so handicapped. But reading lists to identify new materials always seem to be written in either too sophisticated a manner or so simplistically as to em- barrass the intended user. Perhaps what is needed is a bilingual publication. At any rate, there is much libraries can do to reach these students, particularly if an expanded service concept is em- ployed with appropriate and sensitive librarians and supporting staff. While the dominant theme of this pa- per has revolved around the needs of students, the formulation of special ser- vice and support programs for the fac- ulty within Mexican American studies departments is necessary. The rush into Mexican American studies has placed an enormous strain on the limited man- power available to fill teaching and ad- ministrative positions in most western universities. Therefore, many of the new instructors hired for actual class- room teaching find themselves hurtled into curriculum design, course planning, and preparation of lectures with little if any previous academic experience. These conditions, especially the latter, add up to what should be a greater reli- ance on the university library by these instructors, as well as a closer working relationship with librarians. Hence, it is to this frontline teaching sector that specialized library service should be ad- dressed, to take whatever forms can ef- fectively respond to the evident and foreseeable pressures. Has this in fact occurred? Yes and no. Certain support services, within a tradi- tional vein, are relatively simple for a university library to provide for a new teaching department. However, where the teaching department is composed of individuals not completely familiar with the capabilities and functionings of a university library, where the types of needed materials are elusive and not available in its collection, and where a demand for Mexican American library staff includes the development of spe- cial or even separate collections, the li- brary administration is hard put to react in any fashion other than horror and dismay. While I will not belabor the de- mands that this cadre of new faculty members makes upon the library, it is important that the actions of the uni- versity library both from anticipatory and reactive motives be investigated. While teaching faculty of Mexican American descent are few, to say the least, there are even fewer Chicano aca- demic librarians.12 Where Chicano li- brarians have been employed to deal ex- clusively with students and faculty from Chicano studies programs, their efforts have been highly successful, par- ticularly where the library administra- tion has encouraged them to work close- ly with faculty in the derivation of ap- propriate bibliographic aids, book col- lection programs, and other library ser- vice projects devoted to the unique needs of this minority group. Given the limited number of Chicano academic librarians, many university libraries suc- cessfully employ capable bilingual li- brary clerks to deal directly with stu- dents and faculty in the areas of Chi- cano studies. At best this latter condi- tion can be viewed as a holding opera- tion and can lead to some serious prob- lems for academic libraries. Eventually, if a Mexican American studies depart- ment is influential, aggressive, and vo- ciferous, it can intimidate the library administrators into releasing a Mexican American library clerk and begin the de- velopment of a separate collection of materials as a departmental collection. Also, various Mexican American studies programs have employed bilingual Chi- cano clerks to function as librarians in the establishment and development of a library collection independent of the main university library. In fact, several Mexican American studies programs at major universities in the Far West are actively seeking librarians to administer pocket library collections, some of sub- stantial size and scope.13 These actions, for all practical purposes, will not only alienate the library from the teaching department, but restrict the possible contacts that faculty and students will have with the main library. So, how does one circumvent and solve this problem? The key is the cooperative good will of the faculty. This can be secured by a cooperative venture between library administrators and subject-oriented li- brarians, and the teaching faculty. The first move in establishing this relation- ship should come from the library. What kind of support services and what kind of librarians should deal with the faculty? Ideally, one could want a highly flexible reader services di- vision that could restructure its policies and resources to. accommodate just such a contingency. Assuming that some ad- ministrative latitude is possible because of the library's organizational structure, the place to start is in an opening dia- logue between the university librarian and the chairman of the teaching de- partment. This, of course, is almost too simplistic to mention. However, after the initial contact I recommend that the traditional relationship between admin- istrators be abandoned in favor of close personal and professional encounters between the individuals most concerned with the problems, namely the teaching faculty and the line (as opposed to staff) librarians. Initially this may re- quire that upper level library adminis- trators relinquish some of their rela- Academic Library Services I 459 tionships with the Mexican American studies faculty and even its chairman. What is needed at this stage of the ven- ture is a quick identification of the goals so that the derivation of a prob- lem-solving methodology results. Also, the contacts between faculty and public services librarians seem the most advan- tageous for the library and probably for the teaching department faculty. This can be an important liaison not on- ly between the university library and the faculty, but between the library and the students in that department. The dis- cussion of subject and bibliographical tools can be a two-way street between faculty and librarians. How? Historically, librarians have always been considered the curators of books and other library materials. As such, their greatest expertise has been in the role of information processors as op- posed to information interpreters. Li- brarians have adopted the policy of pro- viding the answer to a request in prefer- ence to providing not only the answer but some training for the client on how to employ self help in a future, similar situation.14 This should not be the case with Mexican American studies faculty and students. In many instances academ- ic librarians at several western univer- sities have a much better command of the available resources than the begin- ning teaching faculty. What a shame if the two did not cooperate and learn from each other! On the other hand, where the faculty member has a good knowledge of the literature and the li- brarian does nqt, it behooves the librari- an to secure fh.i knowledge. Whether this rapport is gained through close personal or professional contacts, through classroom observation or participation, or through joint biblio- graphic projects is not important at this point. What is important is that the li- brary make the first overture to the teaching department, through upper level administrators, and then allow the 460 I College & Research Libraries • November 1972 individuals who must work with the conditions and problems to conceptual- ize a plan of action acceptable to both parties. From a purely practical perspective the cooperation between faculty and li- brarians may provide answers to the fol- lowing: • What resources, such as a govern- ment documents section, does the library maintain that could be a possible source of informa- tion? • Are there cooperative resource- sharing systems that this univer- sity library participates in which might serve as alternatives in searching out appropriate infor- mation? • What nonprint materials, such as films, maps, microforms, etc., ex- ist both in the library and on the university campus? • Are there special research or pub- lic service sectors of the univer- sity that maintain data banks? Such a list could be continued at length because once a good academic librarian is given direction and an opportunity to pursue such a project the possibilities increase tremendously. The essential in- gredient within this relationship is the continuing contact and cooperation be- tween the librarian and the Mexican American studies faculty, with the ob- jective of sensitizing both parties to needed services and materials. The last aspect of this process, library materials, leads to the final demand that Mexican American students and faculty bring to a university library. To support adequately a teaching and research program, a university library must identify all appropriate publica- tions relevant to. the Mexican American studies curriculum. The questions that will be asked of librarians, and to a lesser extent the teaching faculty, are: • What is available in the humani- ties, art, music, literature ( dra- ma, novels, poetry) that will be useful to the program? • Can the Chicano Art Association be recruited to disseminate not only some of their works, but pertinent information? • What new research is being con- ducted in the social sciences- economics, education, sociology, political science-where is it be- ing done and how can it be se- cured? • Can the Chicano Press Associa- tion be helpful in identifying and reviewing this new material? Looking first at the role of the library in supporting teaching programs, the ac- cumulation of library materials alone will not suffice in this case. Data and in- formation gathering will not substitute for the substantive evaluation of sources to communicate the realities of the Mexican American's culture, identi- ty, and uniqueness. A quick search through the numerous bibliographies on Mexican American topics will uncover the same writers and works. Most of these bibliographies have been compiled by well-intentioned librarians and aca- demics. Mexican Americans and partic- ularly Chicano faculty and students view with great suspicion some "schol- ars" who have produced books ostensi- bly sympathetic to the Mexican Ameri- can. Through a dialogue with students and faculty members from Mexican American studies programs, or from conversations with librarians who have long been involved in the review of Mexican American literature, librarians can learn to identify the best works in this area. 15 Librarians should accept as their goals the development of a data bank of in- formation on the Mexican American within the university library. In addi- tion to monographic materials and tra- ditional print sources, hard survey data as well as synthesized materials should be sought out and secured by librarians. An example of a well documented study is Ernesto Galarza's Merchants of La- bor.16 It is a fundamental account of the exploitation of the bracero with the framework of a humanistic text. Aca- demic librarians can be the alert pro- fessionals capable of selecting and or- ganizing objective data that will eventu- ally be useful to the creative writer such as Galarza. Future Mexican Ameri- can dramatists, essayists, novelists, and poets may derive the images and impres- sions of their culture from the true rec- ords that academic librarians saw fit to. identify, secure, and preserve. In the process of securing appropriate materials to support an academic teach- ing and research program, university li- brarians have long been reactive forces. Perhaps this is because most librarians have seldom been included in the con- ceptual stages of curriculum develop- ment, a condition resulting from facul- ty indifference to librarians, and to a lesser degree a lack of interest by li- brarians themselves. Such a condition however, should not continue as a prec- edent for new and developing inter- disciplinary programs like ethnic stud- ies. Many librarians have long been the only friends minority group students have had on the campus, being the first service agencies to hire them and the first to offer them equality of service Academic Library Services I 461 without regard to their language, race, or color. The weaknesses that have exist- ed and continue to exist are principally within the administrative levels of uni- versity libraries. A few university li- braries have seen the desperate needs of these students and faculty have em- barked on some highly innovative and beneficial library education and training programs. The future course of action of necessity requires genuine commit- ment, planning, the use of appropriate manpower, and most important, the willingness of the library administrators to cast aside the traditional role of a re- active and procedurally-oriented service unit and to initiate innovative service concepts. The education of the Mexican Amer- ican is at a critical crossroad. Y o.ung peo- ple in colleges and universities for the past four years have been attempting to implement educational programs within the established structure. Their efforts have not been completely real- ized. There have been a few librarians who have dedicated themselves to this minority group and have even risked their positions in making radical chan- ges in what can best be called a philo- sophically-obsolete library concept of service. Many of the issues that revolve around servicing the needs of Mexican American studies are just arising in the library literature. Librarians should be deeply committed to helping these stu- dents better themselves and secure the full benefit of their college education. REFERENcES 1. For the purposes of this paper, the term Mexican American will be used to encom- pass other terms such as Spanish origin, Spanish surnamed, Latinos, Hispanos, Spanish Americans, and Chicanos. The term Spanish speaking will not be used because many of these people do not speak Spanish. Chicano will be substituted for Mexican American to prevent undue repetition and is not meant to have ideological connota- tions. 2. Philip D. Qrte~o, "Montezuma's Children," The Center Magazine v. 3, no. 6 (Nov.- Dec. 1970) p. 23-31. 3. U.S. Bureau of the Census, Current Popula- tion Reports, Population Characteristics "Spanish American Population: November 1969," Series P-20, no. 195, Feb. 20, 1970. Also by the same publisher and within the same series, "Persons of Spanish Origin in the United States: November 1969," Series P-20, no. 213, Feb. 18, 1971. 462 I College & Research Libraries • November 1972 4. For a brief but informative discussion of Chicano student demands at western col- leges and universities, the reader is re- ferred top. 207-9 of Armando B. Rendon's book, Chicano Manifesto (New York: Mac- millan, 1971). 5. The core curriculum of many ethnic studies programs, particularly for the better Chi- cano Studies programs, has as its basis a genuine identification of the unique cul- ture and values of specific minority groups. An awareness of the cultural and language differences endemic to Mexican Americans can only help to encourage an understand- ing of their attitudes and behavior, a con- dition that will benefit both the dominant society and this minority group. 6. Horacio Ulibarri discusses the problems of educational disorientation in his study, "Social and Attitudinal Characteristics of Spanish-Speaking, ... " p. 165-66, in Na- thaniel N. Wagner and Marsha J. Haug' s book, Chicanos: Social and Psychological Perspectives (St. Louis: C. V. Mosby, 1971 ). 7. As of this date, ten western colleges and universities have employed Mexican Amer- icans as library staff with responsibilities for dealing with Chicano faculty and stu- dents. Unfortunately, clerks are easier to find than Chicano librarians. 8. Arnulfo D. Trejo, "Library Needs for the Spanish Speaking," ALA Bulletin, v. 63, no. 8 (Sept. 1969) p. 1079. 9. California, University of, Los Angeles, Li- brary, Chicano Library Program, by Sue Dudley. Los Angeles, 1970 (UCLA Li- brary Occasional Papers, no. 17). 10. Trejo, "Library Needs," p. 1079. 11. I Am Joaquin, an epic poem by Rodolfo Gonzalez, filmed by the Teatro Campesino, Delano, California, 1968. 12. In the five southwestern states, only five Chicano academic librarians were identified by this writer. Two were at universities, one at a four year college, and two at community colleges. Only three of these librarians were actually employed to work with the Chicano students and f~1eulty. 13. Twelve colleges and universities presently have developing Chicano library collections that are neither located in the main library, nor controlled by the library's administra- tion. One major western university even has budgeted a Chicano Bibliographer position in excess of $20,000 per year whose re- sponsibility is to a Mexican American Cen- ter and is developing its book collection, which is not controlled by the main library. 14. Samuel Rothstein, "Reference Services," CRL v. 22, no. 1 (Jan. 1961 ), p. 11-18. 15. Three current bibliographies dealing with Chicanos that deserve mention are: Ernie Barrios, Bibliografia de Aztlan; An An- notated Chicano Bibliography (San Diego, Calif.: San Diego State College, Centro de Estudios Chicanos, 1971). Leo Grebler, et al., The Mexican American People (New York: Free Press, 1970), p. 677-742. Mon- tal Systems, Inc., Chicano Resource Ma- terials (Washington, D.C., 1970). 16. Ernesto Galarza, Merchants of Labor (San Jose, Calif.: Rosicrucian Press, 1964).