Creating a Welcoming Environment: Small Tips for Bigger Payoffs

When I first started exploring ways to attract our newest neighborhood residents to our library, I knew that I would need to create some Spanish language signs and informational bookmarks that would, at the minimum, direct Spanish speaking customers to our various collections, including our bilingual and Spanish language collections. Part of the essence of creating a friendly, warm, and welcoming environment is providing bright, clear, and vibrant signage that hopefully sets the tone for a library that serves all.

Thankfully, what I discovered at that time was an invaluable aid. Within a few keystrokes my much underused vocabulary of basic Spanish language terms came back to me, this time with help from the creators of "SOL." I would like to share this link to a helpful and informative website, "Spanish in our Libraries" which can be found at http://www.sol-plus.net/. Check out their links to current Spanish programming events being held nationwide by public libraries, as well as guides to creating press releases, library signs, and even the Dewey Decimal System in Spanish. There is even an Internet directory page devoted strictly to identifying and listing resources on the Internet for Spanish speaking computer users.

Enjoy exploring the many links on the SOL site!

Collection Development: Taking a Look at What's on the Bookshelf

An announcement about the "We the People Bookshelf" Grant, sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities, is the inspiration behind this post. With a calling for applications, which BTW, can be submitted online from now until January 29, 2010, it was interesting to learn about the books that will be awarded as part of the "We the People Bookshelf" collection. Since their theme this year is "A More Perfect Union," about seventeen books have been selected for readers covering grades kindergarten through 12th grade. More importantly, several of those books will be in Spanish. Which leads me to my question...just how many rural libraries across the nation actually have Spanish language materials available?

Like the old adage, "if you build it, they will come," obviously having some of the resources available for our Spanish speaking patrons is just the beginning towards creating, building, and maintaining a welcoming library that understands and recognizes the needs of this group. At the public library in which I work, we have been fortunate enough to have Spanish language books, videos, music CDs, and magazines, for young readers, teens, and adults. The books range from bilingual story books, easy readers, and Dr. Seuss to biographies, the works of Isabel Allende, cookbooks, parenting manuals, ESL texts and kits, to translations of Danielle Steel, Tim LaHaye, and Stephen King.

REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking, has some wonderful resources available for those working in developing multicultural  Spanish, ESL, English, and bilingual library collections. A part of providing books for this group is recognizing and understanding their needs. Having a collection that represents and is sensitive to the needs of our various users can only serve to create supportive and loyal customers. Keep our users coming back!

Please be sure to examine the "documents" section found in the "Collection Development" unit of WebJunction's Spanish Language Outreach Program. Explore their site here! 

Collection Development Resources: 
Marquis, S.K. (May/June 2003). Collections and services for the Spanish-speaking: Accessibility. Public Libraries, 42(3), 172-177.

Marquis, S.K. (2003, March/April). Collections and services for the Spanish-speaking: Issues and resources. Public Libraries, 42(2), 106-112. 

Reforma. (2007, Winter). Guidelines for library services to Spanish-speaking library users. Reference  &  User Services Quarterly, 47(2), 194-197.