1. Connecting with South Asian Customers: Developing Cultural Awareness _______________________________ OLA Super Conference – 2008 Session 1003 Sarala Uttangi Brampton Library 2008 Brampton Library

2. 2 Objectives  What do you and your staff need to know to meet the needs of customers from other cultural backgrounds?  Develop your awareness of cultural groups within your community and build strategies to provide better customer service and synergies among groups.  Benefit from Brampton Public Library's work with the South Asian cultures in creating a model for your library.

3. 3 Creating a Model for your Library  Multicultural Philosophy  Collections  Programs and Services  Outreach and Partnerships  Staff and Training

4. 4 Demographic Trends in Brampton  Top country of origin of immigrants in Brampton  The single largest immigrant group in Brampton are from India (45.3%)  Top three largest visible minority groups in Brampton  South Asians, Blacks and Filipinos.  Top 3 religions in Brampton (after Roman Catholics and Protestants)  Sikhs (10.6%) Hindus (5.4%) and Muslims (3.5%)  Top three increases in language speakers between 1996 and 2001 census  Urdu-speakers (150.9%), Punjabi-speakers (113.8%) and Spanish-speakers (77.6%) 2001 Canada Statistics (Social Planning Council of Peel)

5. 5 Region of Peel  Peel is one of the fastest growing regions in Canada, with over one million people (1,159,405).  South Asians are the fastest growing community  According to the 2001 census, immigrants make up 43.1% of Peel’s population  A new statistics Canada study projects that by 2017 people of South Asian origin will be Toronto region’s most populous visible-minority group, more than 1 million will be South Asians which is up from 488,000 in 2001

6. 6 South Asia Bangladesh Bhutan India Maldives Nepal Pakistan Sri Lanka

7. 7 Country Profile CountryPopulationMajor Languages Major Religion AreaCapital India1.1 billion (UN, 2005) Literacy 61% Hindi, English and 21 other official languages + 1600 dialects Hindu 81.4%, Islam 12.4%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9% Buddhism, Jainism 2% 3.1 million sq km New Delhi Pakistan161.1 million (UN, 2005) Literacy 48.7% Urdu, English, Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto, Balochi Islam 97% (Sunni 77%, Shiite 20%); Christian, Hindu, and other 3% 796,095 sq km Islamabad Bangladesh152.6 million (UN, 2005) Literacy 41.1% Bengali, Urdu, Hindi Islam 85%, Hindu 12%, other 3% 143,998 sq km Dhaka Sri Lanka20 million (UN, 2005) Literacy 90.4% Sinhalese, Tamil, English Buddhist 70%, Hindu 15% Christian 8% Islam 7% 65,610 sq km Colombo

8. 8 West Pakistan East Pakistan India Blend of Religion, Language and Culture

9. 9 Religion  Hinduism  Islam  Sikhism  Buddhism  Christianity

10. 10 Cultural Tips  Norms, Practices and Values  Communication Styles  Cuisine  Fashion and Film (Bollywood )

11. 11 Libraries in South Asia  National Library  Academic Library  Special and Scientific Library  Government Library  Public Library  Local Community Library

12. 12 What do you and your staff need to know to meet the needs of customers from other cultural backgrounds?  Newcomers to Canada face many challenges in settling and adjusting  Connecting With Library Customers

13. 13 Develop your awareness of cultural groups within your community  Peel Community Information Database  http://www.pinet.on.ca/ http://www.pinet.on.ca/  211Ontario.ca  http://www.211toronto.ca/ http://www.211toronto.ca/  Settlement.Org  http://www.settlement.org/site/REGIONS/ http://www.settlement.org/site/REGIONS/  OCASI.Org  http://www.ocasi.org/index.php http://www.ocasi.org/index.php

14. 14 Conclusion If library staff don't become culturally competent to effectively serve all the people in ways that are meaningful to them, we will become meaningless!! (Journal of Library Administration, 9/1/2001) Shukriya and Namaste!!

15. 15 Contact Information Sarala Uttangi Information Services Coordinator Multicultural Services Brampton Library 905-793-4636 ext 4353 suttangi@bramlib.on.ca www.bramptonlibrary.ca