A bilingual workshop for Librarians who are Spanish speakers as
well as Librarians interested in learning Spanish to enable basic
communication
with their Spanish speaking patrons.
presented by Stella Quiñones, Bernice Martinez-Comstock,
Debbie Eagan, and Mark Emmons
SPANISH FOR LIBRARIES:
Spanish Usage in the Libraries of New Mexico
Historical Background
Limited access to books
1834 - the first printing press arrived
1850 - roughly 40% of New Mexicans were literate
Community assessment and support
Develop strategic plan
Survey and focus groups
Solicit support from elected officials and trustees
Bilingual staff
Provide on-site and off-site training
Ensure bilingual staff are consistently available to public
Recruit and hire new bilingual staff
Circulation policies
Establish fair and consistent policies
Simplify bilingual library card applications
Work with parents and teachers to teach children to return materials
Funding for Spanish language materials
Establish priorities and long term goals
Explore various funding resources: permanent, trust, gift and grants
Seek new funding resources
Collection development
Balance collections to meet cultural, practical and intellectual
needs
Establish guidelines for print, audio, and electronic materials
Address the needs for all age groups and reading levels
Programs
Address the needs demonstrated in community assessment
SPANISH IN
LIBRARIES