%0 Journal Article
%T An investigation of the experiences of Nicaraguan Coste£¿o librarians
%A Ana Ndumu
%A Lorraine Mon
%J IFLA Journal
%@ 1745-2651
%D 2018
%R 10.1177/0340035218764496
%X This research examines the experiences of librarians in Bluefields, Nicaragua. Semi-structured interviews and photovoice activities were used to investigate librarians¡¯ professional development, daily operations, and ways of meeting the information needs of Coste£¿os¡ªor, Miskitu, Rama, and Sumu indigenous groups as well as African-descending Creoles. The findings suggest that librarians¡¯ accounts coincide with established knowledge on Nicaragua's library landscape: libraries are predominantly formal and education-related; Nicaraguan society values oral knowledge or word-of-mouth information; and when compared with academic libraries, Nicaraguan public libraries are fewer and lack resources. Libraries on the Atlantic coast can strengthen their services through collaborations as well as culturally-based services. Additionally, the photovoice technique was found to be an effective tool for conducting research involving multicultural communities
%K Afro-Hispanics
%K cultural heritage
%K indigenous groups
%K library development
%K Nicaraguan libraries
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0340035218764496