CALA Poster at Diversity Fair
Author: Min Chou, Sai Deng

Inspiration and
Promoting Diversity within the
Min Chou, Incoming Vice President of CALA ,
Sai Deng, CALA Newsletter Co-Editor,

Participation
Organization and Beyond
New Jersey City University Library
Wichita State University Libraries

CALA-More than 35 Years of

Commitment to Promoting Diversity

Our Diversity, Our Strength: Showcase

CALA International Outreach Activities

Introduction
Established in 1973, CALA is a professional organization with over 35 years of demonstrated commitment and contributions to diversity. It aims to enhance communication among Chinese American librarians, to collaborate with librarians of all cultural backgrounds on the discussion and promotion of library services to all in the United States, and to take a leadership role in global reach with special emphasis on Asian and Pacific Rim countries. CALA members meet at national conference programs in conjunction with the ALA and also at local chapter level every year.

Workplace Diversity
As an ethnic librarians organization CALA’s commitment to promote diversity is embodied in its mission, goals, and strategic plan;
CALA members work across the United States and have contributed to the success of building a diverse workforce;
CALA members have helped to achieve cultural competency in workplace and promote library services to all users.

CALA 21st Century Librarian Seminar Series Program
Launched in 2006, this program aims at promoting collaboration and exchange between Chinese and American librarians and addressing important issues of librarianship
Co-sponsored by CALA and many academic and cultural institutions, to date, CALA has sent 12 teams of over 45 librarians, and delivered more than 100 lectures in 8 cities. The lecture series are highly recognized by librarians in China
ALA past, current, and incoming presidents (Barbara Ford, Loriene Roy, Jim Rettig, Roberta Stevens, and Camila Alire) participated and delivered speeches at seminars

CALA members are making global reaching efforts to facilitate the access to information and technology to all people. As an ethnic librarians organization, international outreach has become an important component of CALA's strategic advantage. Its diversity and international outreach initiatives have created a strong presence in Asian and Pacific Rim Countries in recent years.

Planning of JCLC 2012

Dai Dai Xiang Chuan (代代相传）

CALA Has Taken a Leadership Role in the Planning of JCLC 2012
CALA Executive Director Haipeng Li co-chairs the steering committee
CALA members have enthusiastically volunteered to serve on committees

CALA Project of President Alire’s Family Literacy Initiative
Four participating libraries (two in OH, one each in IN and CA)
Bring together generations of family members through reading, exercise, cultural, and online activities to enhance family literacy
Help improve literacy and life skills for immigrant families from China

Photos of fundraising events during the ALA Midwinter Meetings in Denver and Boston .

Google map shows the eight cities where the CALA 21st Century Librarian Seminar Series Program was held (Kunming, Yunnan; Taigu City, Shanxi; Changchun, Jilin; Dongguan, Guangdong; Wuhan, Hubei; Taipei, Taiwan; Shanghai; Taiyuan, Shanxi).

CALA membership’s geographic distribution (2008-2009).

Promote the Value of Diversity

– From Mission to Action

Visitacion Vally Branch Library, San Francisco Public Library, Visitacion Vally, California

Cleveland Public Library, Cleveland, Ohio

Rebuild libraries in China and Taiwan

International Involvement

Miami University Libraries/Talawanda School District, Oxford, Ohio

Middlebury Community Public Library, Middlebury, Indiana

Education Diversity
CALA provides opportunities for educational and professional advancement for its members
CALA offers scholarships to encourage and support diverse students to become future librarians and library leaders
CALA supports ALA Spectrum Scholars
CALA provides travel grant and research grants to support its members to be scholarly productive and professionally active and visible at conferences and programs
CALA provides outlets to showcase members’ scholarly and professional achievements

Leadership Diversity Within CALA and Beyond
CALA offers opportunities for members to develop leadership skills through serving at various levels of leadership positions at regional chapters and the national headquarter
CALA mentors young leaders and sponsors new leaders for the ALA Emerging Leaders program
Many CALA members are in leadership positions in public, academic, and special libraries, as well as government agencies at municipal, state, and federal levels
CALA members are leaders in library organizations at local, state, national, and international levels

Joint Mini Conference (NE chapters of
REFORMA, CALA, APALA, BCALA, AILA)

Networking and Collaboration

CALA helped to rebuild libraries in China damaged and destroyed by 5.12 earthquake in 2008

CALA raised over $20,000.00 to LSC that were distributed to libraries destroyed or seriously damaged by the 2008 earthquakes in China.
Collaboration among CALA and Chinese libraries & associations to provide Training Seminars on Preparation for Natural Disasters, Emergencies, Digitization and Preservation of Library Collections.
Book on china earthquakes for sale to raise funds for rebuilding Chinese libraries' collections.

CALA has actively promoted diversity at a global level. Its members have contributed professionally and scholarly to the development of librarianship worldwide.

Shali Zhang at the opening ceremony of the Library Society of China Annual Conference 2008.

Joint Mini Conference (NE chapters of REFORMA, CALA, APALA, BCALA, AILA)
Many CALA members have made excellent presentations to embrace the value of diversity and to share experience in serving diverse users
Since 2005, the NE chapter of five ethnic librarians associations have organized six joint conferences annually
The conferences have attracted librarians from across the countries to participate in and present at the programs

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunrise Celebrations Breakfast
Leaders from across the ALA joined the celebration and read selections from the works of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Dr. E. J. Josey.

Global Memory Net (GMNet) is a world digital library of cultural, historical, and heritage image collections. It is directed by Prof. Ching-chih Chen of Simmons College, Boston, Massachusetts and supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF)/International Digital Library Program (IDLP).

IT and Global Digital Library Development. Edited by Ching-chih Chen of Simmons College.

CALA helped to rebuild libraries in Taiwan destroyed and damaged by August 3, 2009 Morakot Typhoon

At the IFLA: Claudia Lux, IFLA President 2007-2009, Michael Dowling of ALA and Sha Li Zhang of CALA with the Ministry of Culture officials in China.

CALA established the Taskforce on Helping Taiwan Libraries Destroyed/Damaged in the 88 Morakot Typhoon.
CALA collected donations for the CALA 88 Morakot Typhoon in Taiwan Relief Fund.
Total donations raised is over $6,000.00.

Presidents of 5 ethnic caucuses read words of MLK - 2009 Denver.

CALA Publications: CALA Newsletter, Journal of Library and Information Science, Occasional Paper Series, Spotlight on CALA Members and Bridging Cultures.

Current and past CALA Newsletter Editors: Priscilla Yu, Sai Deng and Suyong Jiang.

2007 CALA Scholarship Recipients: Lian Lauren Sin, Yi Ren, Katherine Yanqing Sun and Xiaoai Ren.

Spotlight: Together We

Can Make More Impact

CALA Executive Director Haipeng Li, Co-Chair of JCLC 2012 Steering Committee, read words of Dr. Josey. Boston, 2010.

Joint project of Think

Globally, Act Globally

As an ALA affiliate, CALA has actively connected and collaborated with library organizations to achieve national success in promoting the value of diversity. These photos have highlighted CALA’s participation and contribution in planning and organizing many programs and activities.

Joint Conference of Librarians of Color (JCLC) 2006
CALA actively participated in the first ever national conference jointly sponsored by five ethnic associations (AILA, APALA, BCLC, CALA, REFORMA), October 11–15, 2006 in Dallas, TX

Ethnic Caucus Presidents Meetings
Organized by the ALA Office for Diversity, ethnic caucus presidents meet during the ALA to share information of common interest and plan for joint programs

Min Chou, representing CALA, read words of Dr. Josey. Boston, 2010.

Joint Project of Think Globally, Act Globally
The partnership of University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, CALA, and Library Society of China wins near half million IMLS grant for US-China librarian collaboration and exchange
Six teams of CALA members have delivered lectures in China
CALA chapters have hosted Chinese library leaders for their visits in the US

CALA President Sha Li Zhang read words of Dr. King. Denver, 2009.

April Training for the May 2009 Presenters: Pre-training session held at UIUC for the first group of presenters who will visit China in May.

Xi'An September 2009: September 16-18, 2009, Continuing Education Program at Xi'An, China.

Chinese American

Signing Ceremony held at Library of Congress Members Room. From left to right: Adair Margo, Chairman of the PCAH; Professor Paula Kaufman; Dr. Zhan Furui; Minister Cai Wu.

Professor Paula Kaufman and Dr. Zhan Furui sign the agreement establishing the cooperative and cultural exchange between American and Chinese librarians.

2006 JCLC, Dallas, TX - Gathering at Waters: Embracing Our Spirits, Telling Our Stories.

Lanzhou: Sept. 2009 Program at Lanzhou, China.

November 2009 Program at Nanning, China.

Project Orientation at ALA Midwinter Meeting.

Librarians Association