KCLS Staff Diversity Committee
Hispanic or Latino Advocates Committee (HoLA)
KCLS Staff Diversity Committee
 The KCLS Diversity Committee was established in 2000 and is comprised of nine staff members holding various positions within the organization, from librarians to human resources staff. In late 2007, the Diversity Committee was reinvigorated with new members and guidance from consultants with Griffin, Hill & Associates.
Diversity Committee Vision Statement
The King County Library System’s Diversity Committee is committed to working toward libraries that reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. We welcome a diverse workforce and patrons and encourage everyone to feel comfortable sharing and celebrating their differences, cultures and interests.
Key Accomplishments
- The Diversity Committee was established in April 2000.
- The focus during the first year was on educating committee members and researching diversity initiatives.
- When the information-gathering process was completed, the committee crafted a definition and vision of diversity, called “The Journey to Embracing and Honoring all Individuals.”
- A cultural audit of staff was performed in 2001. This led to the development of the committee’s first work plan which included Respectful Workplace Training, increased advertising in targeted media and outreach to employment-based organizations.
- A database of providers and networks that serve diverse populations was created in 2003. The committee also enhanced promotions through radio, print and Web sites and created staff badge tags in 10 languages to highlight language skills.
- The translation of core library materials was expanded to six languages in 2004. The Language Talk Tool also was developed and distributed to library staff to better communicate with non- English speaking patrons.
- The Capital Bond Project information was translated into five languages in 2004 and a diversity section was featured in the KCLS staff newsletter, the Weekly Memo.
- A Vision Statement and Work Plan were drafted in February 2008.
Hispanic or Latino Advocates Committee (HoLA)
 Founded in 1998, the KCLS HoLA (Hispanic or Latino Advocates) Committee is comprised of 14 staff members. The HoLA Committee strives to bridge cultural and language barriers in the Spanish-speaking community through active outreach and culturally relevant programming.
The HoLA Committee’s mission is to reach out not only to the Spanish-speaking community, but the community as a whole, to create awareness of the rich Latino culture. HoLA members are often consulted on issues ranging from translation and interpretation to collection recommendations. Members also are responsible for bringing programs of cultural relevance to the library system, such as Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).
In 2008, the HoLA Committee reached out to the Latino community through creative marketing using various media outlets such as Univision Television, La Grand D Radio and La Raza Newspaper. HoLA also had a presence at various cultural fairs throughout the greater Puget Sound area, including Fiestas Patrias at Seattle Center.
The HoLA Committee created the first KCLS Spanish language brochure designed to educate Spanish-speaking patrons on materials and services available at KCLS. The first brochure highlighted Spanish language music available at KCLS and was distributed to all 44 libraries.
For more information, contact Jose Garcia by email at jjgarcia@kcls.org.
Last Updated:
March 4, 2010
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