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Informe Ole

Marilyn Sherman
14709 W. 149^th Ct.
Olathe, KS  66062

  LI805 Organizing Theories for Administering
Information Agencies
 Cecilia Salvatore
April 14, 2003

Table Of Contents

1. Executive Summary……………………………………          3

2. Mission Statement……………………………………..          3

3. The Organizational Plan………………………………            4
1. Background Information
2. Description of business
3. Management and personnel structure
4. Potential job descriptions

4. The Marketing Plan……………………………………          7
1. Target Market
2. Competition
3. Advertising

5. Supporting documents………………………………….         11
1. Owner Resume
2. Job descriptions
3. Demographics
4. Sample library documents in Spanish
5. Sample library website translated into Spanish
6. Sample Spanish translations for Libraries

6. References………………………………………………       12

INFORME OLE

SPANISH LANGUAGE INFORMATION

FOR OLATHE Libraries and Educators 

14709 W. 149^th Ct.
Olathe, KS  66062

April 14, 2003

Executive Summary

            In light of the growing Hispanic population in Olathe, Kansas, Informe OLE seeks to become an information hub of Spanish language and bicultural information for Spanish speakers, library personnel and educators.  This plan encompasses the description of the business, management and personnel structure, target markets, community analysis and advertising goals.

Mission Statement

            The mission of my company, Informe Ole, can be divided into three main categories: 

Organizational Plan

a.  Background Information

 For over 30 years the owner of Informe Ole has been involved in Hispanic culture and the Spanish language through studying and working in Latin America.  Spanish language and cultural studies in Mexico City, Mexico and a semester at the University of Costa Rica in San Jose, Costa Rica were part of a degree in Spanish and Journalism at Kansas State University.  This was complemented with a Kansas teaching certificate.  U.S. Peace Corps experience in Paraguay, South America provided the opportunity to become thoroughly versed in Latin culture and completely fluent in the Spanish language.  The owner’s background also includes 4 years teaching Jr. High and High School Spanish, and 6 years working on an international scholarship program in Panama that sent 300 Panamanian students to U.S. universities and colleges to learn English and complete degrees.  The owner understands what it is like to live in a foreign country where customs, systems, and the language are new and different from the known culture.  Cultural adaptation, where to obtain information and language translation are a few critical areas for success in a new community.  This international experience leads me to open the information business, Informe Ole:  Spanish Language Information for Olathe Libraries and Educators.  This name was chosen for the business because Informe means information in English and Ole means !Bravo! and also stands for Olathe Libraries and Educators.

The request for Spanish language services is growing in Olathe, Kansas.  In 1999 Agada stated that in many communities it is the information intermediary (or gatekeeper) who is the source of information for a specific group or community of learners.  The gatekeeper, a respected member of the community, serves as the first source for information needs.  From my own personal knowledge, this is also true for the Spanish speaking community.  Information is first solicited from a trusted friend, or member of the community held in high esteem.  If the trusted friend does not have the needed information, then a bilingual reference source is sought out through known contacts.

This personal contact need provides a great opportunity for a community based business.  Without trust and personal contact, Spanish speakers may be hesitant to search for and use existing services.  Once a presence is established, often by word of mouth, the word spreads that this is the place to go for information.
  
b.  Description of Business

As an information hub, my business will offer the following service to clients:

·        Assistance in Spanish in using databases, locating library resources and using the Internet to locate Spanish language materials.  The local community library website is in English only, as are instructions and directions.

·        Consultation services to library personnel to assist with translation of library information into Spanish, reference interview basics in Spanish and bilingual, bicultural translations.  These interactions can be done by email, phone, fax, through web pages or in person.  This business would also provide advisory services on selecting references, books and periodicals for the Hispanic community.

·        Assist educators in locating bilingual resources to use in the classroom and serve as a resource on bilingual, cultural issues.

·        This company will begin as an information hub to offer reference services to pull together diverse kinds of information.  This service will be bilingual so clients can feel comfortable in either Spanish or English.  As the business grows, translation services can be added for websites, resources or specific brochures and publications. 

 c.  Management and personnel structure

    Informe Ole will open under the sole proprietorship of Marilyn Sherman.  As the business grows, there is the potential to add more personnel in the areas of bilingual website management, reference and information assistance in Spanish and translation services for educators.  Additional staff will work as a team to develop outreach programs, provide services from the business location and in schools and plan future programs to meet the needs of the Spanish speaking community.  An open system of communication and feedback will ensure each team member feels a part of the business with a personal stake in its success.

Marketing Plan

a.       Target Market

The City of Olathe, located in Johnson County, Kansas, has seen a dramatic increase in the number of Hispanic Spanish language speakers.  The Spanish speaking population in Olathe has risen 15% in the last few years.  The Hispanic population in Olathe now comprises 5.4% of the total city population. 

Olathe is a city of young people with only 2.3 percent of the population over the age of 74.  A quarter of the population is school age, 5-18, a statistic supported by the fact that Olathe’s largest employer is the Olathe school district.

The Olathe school district had 219 Hispanic students in September 1992.  Ten years later the district has 1,139 Hispanic students, an increase of 420 percent.  The Olathe school district has begun to offer Spanish lessons to employees, as has the city of Olathe. (Kansas City Star, Oct. 3, 2002)   Although the primary target market is the large Spanish speaking community residing in Olathe, Johnson County has a rapidly growing Hispanic population that could benefit from the services of this company.

Another primary target market is personnel in the Olathe library system.  Having visited both the main Olathe library and branch libraries, personnel currently have limited Spanish language materials, skills and services.  This business would supplement and expand these services.

Educators are currently dealing with increasing Spanish-speaking students in their classrooms.  Due to education budget cutbacks, additional Spanish teachers are not being hired for every school that has a need for bilingual services.  Regular classroom teachers may have limited bicultural experiences and are faced with teaching non-English speakers.  This company will provide resources to use in the classroom and consultation on bilingual, bicultural issues.

Secondary markets should include Hispanic social clubs and organizations and Hispanic festivals and celebrations.

b.      Competition

There are a wealth of Internet Spanish translation sites, online resources for Hispanic culture, history, politics, etc. and even a local Kansas City Area Library website translated into Spanish, but there is no one place where a Spanish speaker or an educator can go to sort through all this information to quickly locate resources, whether it is curriculum enhancement, articles for a research paper or a book for enjoyment.  The main Olathe library has limited Spanish materials displayed on a small table near the entrance.  These materials include social security manuals, immigration guides, citizenship exam preparation books and Spanish dictionaries.  There is a translation of the Dewey Decimal system in Spanish, but the Olathe Public Library website is English only.  The branch library has some materials in Spanish, but no display specific to Spanish materials or translations.  The Irene H. Ruiz Biblioteca de las Americas in the Kansas City region is over 25 miles away, however they have a knowledgeable staff and a large collection of Spanish materials. 

d.  Advertising

Initially, this company would advertise with brochures, business cards and posters or flyers placed in local schools and libraries.  There are 3 High Schools, with a 4^th to open in Fall 2003.  There are 7 Junior High schools and 29 elementary schools.  Another Junior High and several elementary schools are planned for the next 5-10 years to accommodate the expected increase in students as more and more people move into Olathe. 

In the Hispanic community, word of mouth advertising and personal interaction is very important.  This business will capitalize on this preference for personal trust to build a clientele.  As Cole (2003) states, “The businesses that are having the most success in the Hispanic community are the ones that are building strong relationships.” 

As the company builds clientele and adds staff, web site development will supplement and advertise the company’s services.  Informe Ole will also sponsor a float in the City of Olathe Old Settler’s Days Parade and festival. 

5.  Supporting documents

a.    Owner resume

b.    Statistics from the 2000 U.S. Bureau of the Census

c.    Sample library documents in Spanish

d.    Sample Library Website in Spanish

e.    Sample Spanish translations for Libraries

References

Agada, J.  (1999).  Inner-city gatekeepers:  an exploratory survey of their information use environment.  Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 3 (1):  74-85.

City of Olathe. (2002, May 23)  Diversity Forum Report.  Available at www.olatheks.org

Cole, B. (January 3, 2003). Angling for minorities.  The Business Journal of Kansas City.  Retrieved March 10, 2003 from http://kansascity.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2003/01/06/focus1.html

Kansas City Public Library.  (2003).  Irene H. Ruiz Biblioteca de las Americas.  Retrieved February 27, 2003 from the World Wide Web:  http://www.kclibrary.org/about/anitem.cfm?AnnID=54

  KC area schools scramble to accommodate burgeoning Hispanic population.  (2002, October 3).  The Kansas City Star. Available at http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/4199050.htm

Jensen, B. (January 2, 2003). PLUS:  Public Libraries Using Spanish.  Retrieved February 27, 2003 from the World Wide Web:  http://www.sol-plus.net/plus/home.htm

Profile of general demographic characteristics:  2000.  Geographic area:  Olathe City, Kansas.  U.S. Bureau of the Census.  Retrieved from the World Wide Web:  http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/QTTable?_ts=65369783740

Therrien, M. and Ramirez, R.  (2000).  The Hispanic population in the United States:  March 2000.  Current Population Reports, P20-535, U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC.           

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