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Our society is becoming more and more culturally and ethnically diverse. It is imoortant that libraries respond to this fact by reflecting diversity in both their collections and services. In order to do so, reference librarians must understand other cultures, be aware of the information needs and information seeking behavior of patrons wilh multicultural backgrounds. Through a literature review, some characteristics of multiethnic groups in the information seeking process are summarized. Barriers to effective communication in the iibraries include language, conceptual awareness of library services, and philosophy of education. Among ethnic groups, informal social networks and gatekeepers play a crucial role in seeking information. Guidelines are suggested to achieve effective communication with patrons for whom English is a second language. Recommendations are also made for meeting the goals of diversity in reference service. Important topics discussed are: effective communication, special program development, needs assessments and outreach, and training and recruitment.
Mengxiong Liu (Wed,) studied this question.