Dillon Public Library is in the process of completing registration documents translated into Spanish for our Spanish speaking patrons. The first document completed will be the parental consent form so that the children and teens can use the public access computers.
This summer we are working with the Migrant Worker Summer School federal program here in Dillon. On Friday, June 13 twelve children visited the Library to learn all about how we arrange books in the Library, so that they can easily choose reading material appropriate for their reading level. The children all left the library with library card applications and an enthusiastic invitation to return with their parents so that they may obtain a borrowing card. (Several of the children already had library cards!) Unfortunately, our summer reading programs meets during the hours of the Migrant Summer School, and thus the children are unable to attend the regular summer programs. We hope that some of them will participate in the individual reading part of the program, however. Their summer school is over before summer reading programs end, so they may be able to make a couple of the summer reading programs anyway.
One of our weekly summer reading programs is called "Bilingual Bugs." In this session we are going to explore and learn how to name bugs in Spanish. We will all become familiar with the Spanish language and culture through songs, activities, games and stories. We will close the session with the uniquely Spanish custom of pinata (butterfly - mariposa) breaking.
We have a staff member who speaks enough Spanish to be able to converse with our Hispanic patrons. Because she only works part time, we are having her develop a "cheat sheet" of key Spanish words for the rest of us to use when members of the Hispanic community visit our Library. Members of the Hispanic community respond so warmly when we make an attempt to greet them in their native language. We want to do everything we can to make them feel welcome in their Library!
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5 comments:
Hi Marie,
Always exciting things going on at your library. These are terrific outreach activities -- sounds like your efforts with the children are working very well.
Would a mini-grant from the SLO project help with what you are doing? We'd love to contribute a bit of $ for your current Spanish outreach activities or for something you have planned in the next few months. Just let us know some details of how you would use a small grant, OK? All proposals are welcome.
Marie,
What great ideas. I love idea forums like this because it really helps other people develop things in their own libraries.
Way to go!
Kathy Robins
Making the commitment to translate important documents (like the library card signup) and learning welcoming and useful phrases in Spanish lets patrons know that they are welcome in the library no matter what language they speak. Just smiling and saying "Bienviendos a la biblioteca!" lets someone know that they are welcome and wanted in the library.
DPL Hispanic Outreach update:
If we were awarded a small SLO grant, the money would be used to purchase Spanish language materials and to help us translate and print our other library brochures and informational materials in Spanish. We're all looking forward to our next week's summer reading program: Bilingual Bugs! We've extended a special invitation to the students in the Migrant Summer School program for that particular summer reading session. We're hoping the los insectos will stay away, however!
Marie,
Thanks for your official proposal for SLO grant funds. Translating library information into Spanish and having Spanish language materials available at the library is a great outreach package. When you invite them in their own language to come to the library and then have some materials in the collection especially for them, they'll know the library really cares about their needs.
We'll let you know about the grants in a week or so.
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