Spanish Language Resources

Special Issue: This week’s issue of the MHLS Bulletin is devoted to helping member libraries reach out to the Spanish-speaking communities in our area.

Many of us started using public library services as children and work hard to help our communities connect with similar valuable, lasting experiences at our libraries. But there are many members of the public who are not familiar with the great things your library has to offer. People who have come here from other countries may have had varying (or no) experience with American service-oriented public libraries.

Here are common misconceptions about public libraries from people who have grown up in other countries:
· Public libraries are only for the educated or for those attending school.
· Library materials are for sale, not for loan.
· Access to the library and its services requires a fee.
· Libraries will divulge the personal information used in obtaining a library card to government agencies.
· Libraries only provide materials in English
(Did you know that there are actually over 8,000 Spanish language items in the MHLS catalog?)

Traditionally when we design library services we ask people “What can the library do for you?”, “How can we serve you better?”, “What kind of materials should we provide?”, but to someone who has a different understanding of libraries this can be confusing – how do they know what the possibilities are?

To ensure your library is meeting the needs of your local Spanish-speaking community members connect with community leaders about problems, needs, barriers, events, and opportunities specific to this target audience. For a listing of tips to reach leaders of the Spanish speaking population in your community visit our new Outreach to Spanish Speakers resources page: http://midhudson.org/outreach/spanish

MHLS Announcements
In this delivery you will find a packet of the newly released Libraries... Here to Help bilingual (double sided: English/Spanish) bookmark. Designed by MHLS staff with help from the MHLS Marketing & Program Advisory Committee, this is a great marketing piece for you to distribute in key community locations. It will help people who have not yet used a public library to develop an understanding of the big difference between bookstores and libraries. This resource was funded by Spanish Language Outreach funds from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, administered by the New York State Library. Additional copies may be ordered through the MHLS Material Request form at http://midhudson.org/forms/material_request.htm

Give Aways! We have a limited supply of the following items. Request any of them from Merribeth at madvocate@midhudson.org. They will be sent out on a first come, first served basis.

Do you or your staff speak Spanish? Congratulations! Wear this 2.25” pin proudly. (When our supplies are gone you can order more at http://www.cafepress.com/mhls2)

Bienvenidos a la biblioteca means Welcome to the library. Wearing this 2.25” pin is a great way to welcome your Spanish speaking patrons. (When our supplies are gone you can order more at http://www.cafepress.com/mhls)

Survival Spanish for Library Staff on CD. Learn communication and courtesy phrases as well as how to talk about library cards, checking materials out, returning materials, renewing materials, holds and fines. (You can also listen listen online at http://www.webjunction.org/do/DisplayContent?id=14365)


MHLS Libraries
Seven MHLS member libraries and two MHLS correctional facility libraries will be highlighted in the upcoming New York State report on Spanish Language Outreach in New York’s Libraries, a collaborative program of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation U.S. Libraries Program, WebJunction, the NYS Library, and New York’s Public Library Systems. Our libraries stood out for efforts taken after attending the 2007 Spanish Language Outreach workshops conducted by Merribeth Advocate, MHLS Outreach & Education Coordinator and Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, MHLS Coordinator of Member Information. These libraries engaged in a range of activities – from expanding Spanish-language collections, bilingual story hours, ESL classes for adults to hiring bilingual staff, developing bilingual signage in the library and a focus group to reveal very local information about a library’s Spanish-speaking community’s needs. All of these libraries should be applauded for their efforts:
· Howland Public Library (Beacon)
· Chatham Public Library
· Kent Public Library
· Kinderhook Memorial Library
· Marlboro Free Library
· Patterson Library
· Grinnell Library Association (Wappingers Falls)
· Fishkill Correctional Facility Library
· Greene Correctional Facility Library

Resource Sharing & Millennium
The Spanish Language Quick Search Box for the MHLS Online Catalog (OPAC) can be added to your library web site. Check it out online at http://midhudson.org/en_espanol.htm.

Marketing, Advocacy & Funding
When marketing library services to the Spanish speakers in your community, focus on:
· Talking about the service or program in terms that “connect” or mean something to the community* — that relate to their needs, problems, life situations, etc.
· Selling the concept that the library is there to help.
· Family and fun.
· Avoid selling the “library.” Always keep in mind: what’s in it for them?
*How to know what will “connect”: speak with community leaders, test out your publicity materials with them and ask for their advice. Find more marketing tips at http://midhudson.org/outreach/spanish/marketing.htm

Did You Know? By 2010, Hispanics will add more people to the population every year than all other groups combined.
· One-third are under 18 years
· 40% US Hispanics are foreign born; 80% arriving since 1980
· By 2025, nearly one in five U.S. residents will be of Hispanic origin.
[Source: Source: U.S. Census 2002]

Challenges Faced by the Hispanic/Latino Population:
Education
· North of the Bronx, 19% of Latinos have less than a ninth grade education
· 40% don’t have a high school diploma
· Gap in access to technology
Language
· 75% of Hispanics speak a language other than English at home.
· In the Hudson Valley, only 20% of Latinos speak only English at home
· Among Hispanics, approximately 2 in 5 speak English less than “very well.”
[Sources: “The Changing Face of the Empire State – Latinos, Portuguese and Brazilians in Upstate New York” prepared by the New York State Assembly Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force and "Toward Equality of Access: the Role of Public Libraries in Addressing the Digital Divide"]

Reference & Collection Development
1 in 20: According to the National Assessment of Adult Literacy, nearly 11 million U.S. adults or approximately one in 20, most of whom are immigrants, have such limited English skills that they can't read a newspaper, understand the direction for medication or help their children with school work.

Rotating Collections of Spanish Materials: Looking for a way to reach out to the Spanish speakers in your community? Want an easy way to get a variety of Spanish materials into your library? Rotating collections of Spanish materials are available from MHLS through subscription. Participating libraries receive a different assortment of materials every three months.
· Adult collection: $150 annually
· Children’s collection: $112.50 annually
Sign-up now: A limited number of collections are currently available, and will be filled on a first-come-first served basis. Please contact Merribeth Advocate at 845.471.6060 x54 or madvocate@midhudson.org to subscribe.

Federal Citizen Information Center – Spanish Brochures: To receive free publications from the federal government in Spanish on health, money management, Social Security, housing and more sign up at http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/spanishoffer/

English-Spanish Medicare Library Outreach Toolkit: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have developed an extensive toolkit to help librarians direct Medicare beneficiaries/seniors to the right place when they need help regarding Medicare issues. The toolkit provides resources in English and Spanish. Download the toolkit online at http://webjunction.org/spanish-health-information/resources/wjarticles

Google in Spanish: You can set both Interface Language and Search Language options by clicking on “Preferences” on right side of search box. The direct link to Google in Spanish is: http://www.google.com/intl/es/

Programming
Your library may want to offer computer classes in Spanish. It would be ideal to have an instructor that would teach computer skills in Spanish, but if that is not possible pair your computer instructor with a translator. Consider partnering with an organization in your community that can provide one or both of these.
- Curriculum resources for Working With Computers and Spanish Speakers (including basic computer skills, Office Applications, Internet and Email) are available through WebJunction at http://webjunction.org/spanish-computers/resources/wjarticles
- PR “hooks” for class announcements:
· Help your kids succeed (and keep up with them!)
· Apply for jobs or function in current jobs
· Access important information (health, legal, educational, etc.)
· Communicate with family / get news from home
· Learn and improve English skills
· Entertainment (music, movies, sports)

Plan ahead:
· September 15 – October 15: National Hispanic Heritage Month
· October is National Diversity Month
· April 30th: El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day) [http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/diadelosninos/diaresources/diafactsheet.cfm]
· May is Latino Books Month

Youth Services
Check out the Family Involvement Storybook Corner, a section of the Harvard Family Research Project website which is a new source for information on using children's storybooks with family involvement themes to engage families in their children's education and encourage family/school/community partnerships, all while supporting literacy. Read their online bilingual storybook about family involvement at school designed to engage children and families. Also check out the Related Readings section where you’ll find articles on family involvement for children’s early literacy in Latino families: http://www.hfrp.org/family-involvement/storybook-corner

The National Education Association’s (NEA’s) popular guides for parents, available in English and Spanish, cover a variety of topics and offer tips and advice to help children succeed. All resources listed are available at: http://www.nea.org/parents/nearesources-parents.html
· A Parent’s Guide to Raising Ready Readers (A joint project of NEA and National PTA) -- Guía de padres de familia para incentivar a sus hijos a leer
· A Parent’s Guide to Helping Your Child Learn to Read (A joint project of NEA and National PTA) -- Guía de padres de familia para ayudar a sus hijos a aprender a leer
· A Parent’s Guide to Supporting School Success -- Guía de padres de familia para ayudar a sus hijos lograr el éxito escolar

Trustee Resources
“Latinos moving and settling throughout New York with their families are searching for a better quality of life, a better education system, more employment opportunities, affordable housing options, safer neighborhoods, and more opportunities for their children. They bring with them a deep desire to improve their lives and are looking for leaders who embrace the change they signify with an open dialogue that includes them in the policy making process.”
More information from the report The Changing Face of the Empire State: Latinos, Portuguese and Brazilians in Upstate New York available at http://www.midhudson.org/outreach/TaskForceReport.pdf

Administration & Management
“…in order to meet the changing and growing needs of our communities, it is becoming a basic service to reach out beyond our walls and make library services not only accessible but also relevant to diverse populations.”
From Serving Latino Communities: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians by Camila Alire and Orlando Archibeque

In a January 2008 report, “Welcome, Stranger: Public Libraries Build the Global Village,” the Urban Libraries Council cited five strategies libraries can use to help speed transitions in integrating new residents from all over the world into the community, and some suggested next steps:
· Libraries Understand Local Immigration Dynamics. When libraries understand neighborhood-level information about new residents, their needs, and the resources available to them, libraries can shape their services and form their partnerships effectively. At http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html get a fact sheet for your community by zip code (includes % foreign born, and % that speak a language other than English at home. You can also view a Fact Sheet for a race, ethnic, or ancestry group).
Next step: Pay attention to local perspectives on immigrants.
· Libraries Bring Cultural and Language Sensitivity to Service Delivery. The biggest barrier for new arrivals is language. Libraries are addressing this with innovations in signage, collections, and provision of basic services in the first languages of their new residents. Next step: Recruit employees with multiple languages and cultural ties to immigrant groups.
· Libraries Build English Capacity. English proficiency is the most important factor in immigrants’ chances for success. Public libraries become important links in the community network for learning English when they support Adult English instruction (through building collections and being able to direct people to local classes) and early literacy/family literacy programs (preparing young children for school). Find all the literacy providers in your area at http://midhudson.org/outreach/main.htm#ed. Next step: Broaden reading club selections to include books from authors familiar to immigrant groups.
· Libraries Create Connections to Local Institutions. Organizations and agencies in the community provide assistance for work, education, health and housing, and libraries can help newcomers make connections with this support. 2-1-1 (in Columbia and Greene Counties dial 1-800-899-1479) is the phone number to call to connect with health and human services in our region. 2-1-1 is a free, confidential, multi-lingual service. Next step: market library services and programs through local immigrant agencies and networks.
· Libraries Encourage Civic Engagement. Participation in public and civic life is not a traditional expectation for many immigrants. Even the simple American act of registering for a library card can be a strange and frightening experience for some. Libraries encourage both community inclusion and newcomer participation. Next step: Support staff participation in local immigrant associations and forums.

From the MHLS Professional Collection [http://midhudson.org/mhls/professional_collection.htm]

¡Bienvenidos! ¡Welcome!: A Handy Resource Guide for Marketing Your Library to Latinos by Susannah Mississippi Byrd, 2005

Hispanic Marketing: a cultural perspective by Felipe Korzenny, Betty Ann Korzenny, 2005

Latino Periodicals: a selection guide by Salvador Güereña and Vivian M. Pisano, editors, 1998

Library Services to Latinos: an anthology by Salvador Güereña, editor, 2000

Libros Esenciales: building, marketing, and programming a core collection of Spanish language children’s materials by Tim Wadham, 2007

Managing Library Outreach Programs: a how-to-do-it manual for librarians by Marcia Trotta, 1993

Marketing to American Latinos: a guide to the in-culture approach by M. Isabel Valdâes, 2002

Mexico!: 40 activities to experience Mexico past & present by Susan Milord, 1998

Programming with Latino Children's Materials: a how-to-do-it manual for librarians by Tim Wadham, 1999

Serving Latino Communities: a how-to-do-it manual for librarians by Camila Alire, Jacqueline Ayala, 2007

Member Libraries are welcome to submit items of interest and job openings to the MHLS Bulletin: bulletin@midhudson.org. The MHLS Bulletin is available on line at http://midhudson.org/bulletins/main.htm.