Yesterday, WebJunction’s Spanish Language Outreach Program hosted an all day pre-conference for over thirty librarians from across the country.  Trainers Bertha Huertero, Bruce Pomerantz, and Rachel Rubin did an outstanding job of sharing their knowledge and experience about implementing effective outreach to Spanish speakers!

We were honored to host  guest speakers, Sr. Ricardo Hernandez, Consul General of the Mexican Consulate and Sr. Jesse Bethke Gomez, President of Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicios (CLUES). Both speakers shared their insights about the needs of the Latino community in the Minneapolis area.

CLUES is Minnesota’s premier provider of behavioral health and human services to the Latino community. A community builder and a catalyst for change, CLUES provides services that advance and enhance the quality of Latino’s lives in Minnesota, including: Mental Health Services, Chemical Health Services, Family Services, Aging Well Services, Employment Services, and Educational Services.  They are doing amazing work by providing programs and services to the Latino community that meet the needs of the “whole family”. 

Sr. Gomez strongly encouraged our participants to approach outreach to their Spanish-speaking patrons in a similar “family centric” way.