Archived Event

Outreach to Underserved Populations?A Public Library Perspective

Date : Oct 29, 2003
Start Time : 11 a.m. Eastern
Length : 00:50:15

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As Director of El Paso Public Library and President-Elect of the American Library Association, Carol A. Brey-Casiano will address the needs of four traditionally underserved populations in many communities across the United States, including the community served by her library: recent immigrants, seniors, teens, and functionally illiterate and new readers.

Additionally, Ms. Brey-Casiano will discuss her plans for a grassroots library advocacy campaign that will include outreach to underserved populations. As platform initiatives for her 2004-2005 term as ALA President, Brey-Casiano has committed to lead the library community's efforts in promoting literacy and the freedom to read for all and in bridging the digital divide, ensuring that everyone has the technology needed to access information.

Carol Brey-Casiano ?President-Elect, American Library Association

Carol A. Brey-Casiano is currently the Director of El Paso Public Library and is President-Elect of the American Library Association for 2004-2005. El Paso Public Library serves a community of nearly one million people living on the United States-Mexico border, and provides service from a main library, nine branches, and a bookmobile.

Prior to working in El Paso, Ms. Brey-Casiano was director of the Thomas Branigan Memorial Library system in Las Cruces/Do?a Ana County, New Mexico, from 1996 to 2000. She also manages her own consulting firm, Visions, and served as the Director of the Oak Park Public Library from 1991 to 1995.

Ms. Brey-Casiano began her Ph.D. studies at the University of Texas at Austin and holds a Master's degree in Library Science from the University of Illinois. She has also served as an adjunct professor in library education programs on both sides of the border, for Domincan University in River Forest, Illinois; the University of Texas at Austin; and the Universidad Aut?noma de Chihuahua in Chihuahua, Mexico.

A life-long advocate of books and literacy, Ms. Brey-Casiano has been a member of the ALA Library Advocacy Now network since its inception. She recently represented ALA at the AMBAC (Mexican Librarian's Association) Annual Conference, where she gave a presentation in Spanish on ways to implement the "Campaign for the World's Libraries."