Services > Target Languages > Overview of Target Language Services
Multnomah County Library's Target Language Initiative
According to the latest American Community Survey, Multnomah County is becoming more linguistically and culturally diverse. After English, the four languages most frequently spoken by Multnomah County residents are Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese and Chinese. Since the late 1990s, Multnomah County Library has responded to the community's increased linguistic diversity by working to improve services to speakers of these four target languages.
In 1998, with the support of an LSCA (Library Services and Construction Act) grant from the Oregon State Library, MCL developed LIBROS, a program focused on serving the county's Latino community. Components included instituting bilingual storytimes, increasing the library's collection of Spanish and bilingual books and materials, hiring Spanish bilingual staff and initiating a wide array of outreach efforts that connected the Spanish-speaking community with library services. A 2001 Library Services and Technology Act grant from the Oregon State Library provided the opportunity for the library to introduce a Spanish language website, which has since acquired a full navigational structure parallel to the library's English language website. Since 1998, the number of Spanish bilingual staff has increased from one person to 32 (as of early 2010). In 2002, the library was honored with the Estela and Raúl Mora Award for its El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Day of the child/Day of the book) celebration, developed annually by LIBROS staff. In 2009, the library received the National Medal for Museaum and Library Service in part for its programs, services and outreach to Spanish, Chinese, Russian and Vietnamese speakers.
Following the success of the LIBROS program, MCL began to add staff and to augment its collections in Chinese, Vietnamese and Russian. However, realizing that more information was needed from the community to undertake this work effectively, the library successfully sought a Library Services and Technology Act grant from the Oregon State Library to undertake a comprehensive needs assessment for local Russian, Vietnamese and Chinese speakers. Completed in 2006, the needs assessment has provided a blueprint for the library's efforts improve services to these language groups. Areas of focus, which parallel the library's efforts to reach out to Spanish speakers, include:
- Increasing bilingual staffing. As of 2010, the number of Chinese, Russian and Vietnamese speaking staff has grown to 20. (In 2005, there were none.)
- Improving training for all library staff (particularly those in locations that serve immigrant communities) to strengthen their skills and knowledge in an array of areas.
- Growing the library's collection. The library now spends 5 percent of its collection budget on non-English materials.
- Expanding programming. Programs targeting Chinese, Russian and Vietnamese communities, including storytimes, computer classes, film series and annual celebrations have grown from 13 annually in 2004 to an average of over 31 a month.
As a result of these efforts, MCL has witnessed significant increases in usage by the county's growing immigrant community. From FY07 to FY10, cardholder registrations in all four target language communities increased by 53 percent, while circulation of target language materials increased by 81 percent.
In 2009, the library released Welcome to the Library, a video series designed to provide basic information about how to use the public library. Available in Chinese, Vietnamese and Russian from the library's website, as well as in DVD format as part of the library's collection, the videos were funded by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered through the Oregon State Library.
Find additional information about the library's services to Chinese, Vietnamese, Russian and Spanish speakers on the library's website. Or contact one of the following:
Spanish: Ana Schmitt, bilingual outreach specialist, 503.988.4332, anas@multcolib.org
Russian, Vietnamese, Chinese: Rita Jimenez, Neighborhood Libraries Director, 503.988.4366, ritaj@multcolib.org
