Serving Spanish Speakers

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Serving Spanish Speakers

• Loida Garcia-Febo
• Assistant Coordinator, New Americans Program
• and Special Services
• Queens Library
• 2009 ALA Annual Conference, Chicago

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Hispanic population in the USA 15.1 percent of
the estimated total U.S. population of 301.6
million
http//www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/a
rchives/population/011910.html
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Why?

• Increase patronage by Spanish speakers
• Increased commitment to these speakers
• Recent immigrants do not speak English or are not
  fluent in English. Such population prefer
  reading in Spanish.

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How?
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Community Profile

• Research and Analysis of Census statistics
• Contact community organizations
• Contact churches
• Obtain information from school districts
• Consult Yellow Pages

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Major Sources of Data for Community Analysis

• U.S. Census Statistics
• N.Y.C. Department of City Planning Reports
• N.Y.C. Department of Education Statistics
• N.Y.C. Department of Health Statistics
• Journal articles
• Community organizations
• Books and studies

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Queens Residents

• 55.6 Speak a Language Other than English at Home
  
• 48.5 are Foreign Born
• 26.5 are of Hispanic Origin
• 18.3 are Asian

Source 2006 American Community Survey, U.S.
Census Bureau
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Queens ranks 1 in NYC...

• Hispanics
• Colombian (78)
• Peruvian (70)
• Mexican has increased 333.6, 2nd in NYC

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Chinese Toddlers(Estimated)
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Teenagers (Estimated)
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Senior ResidentsTotal 335,554
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Queens LibraryNew Americans Program/ Spanish
Collections

• 1985 Gallup poll showed Hispanics in Queens were
  less aware of library services than other
  immigrant groups
• 1986 Began Say Sí to your Library campaign
• Created pamphlets, bookmarks brochures in
  Spanish listing branches with Spanish language
  collections and Say Sí Manual to assist
  non-Spanish speaking staff
• Distributed to Hispanic community groups,
  churches
• Enhanced collections with more popular fiction
  non-fiction reflective of countries of origin of
  newcomers, audio-cassettes, videos, books-on-tape
  magazines
• Increased number of programs celebrating Hispanic
  cultures

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• 2003 Launch of Bienvenidos a Queens web site
• Spanish language site for newcomers to link them
  directly with community agencies providing
  services in Spanish, as well as with Queens
  Library services designed for Spanish speakers

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Bienvenidos a Queens web site
(www.bienvenidosaqueens.org)
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2005-06 Hispanic Marketing Campaign Bring new
QL organizational branding (Queens Library Enrich
your Life) to Hispanic communities with
newspaper ads, advertising on sides of buses and
bus shelters (Faces campaign- I am your Queens
Library) Focus on summer reading program for
kids and teens and library card registration
drive with newspaper ads in Spanish language
press and home circular mail drop in Hispanic
neighbourhoods
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Spanish Language Faces Campaign
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Cultural Arts
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Coping Skills Program Partnership with the
Queens Health Network
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WorldLinQ
Selection of Web sites in international languages
(www.worldlinq.org)
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Coping Skills Books
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Online Resources
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Adults

• Author Talks
• Films
• Centro Puertorriqueno at Hunter College, City
  University of New York http//centropr.org/lib-arc
  /film-and-video.html
• Dominican Studies Institute, City University of
  New York at City College http//www.ccny.cuny.edu/
  dsi/avcollection.htm
• Poetry
• Slide-Lecture presentations

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Collection Development
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Adult Collection

• Adult fiction should include the original
  literature of the countries as well as
  translations of American bestsellers

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Adult Collection

• Adult non-fiction mirrors the subjects found in
  the English collections, with emphasis on
  information that will help quick adaptation to
  the U.S.

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Children Collection

• The children collections should include original
  work from Latin America and many bilingual
  English/Spanish titles Selected keeping in mind
  library policy regarding children books.

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Recommendations

• Solicit input from patrons regarding their
  reading interests and information needs.
• Network with colleagues and professionals in
  local community agencies to select materials
  based on current and validated input.

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Recommendations

• Provide materials that the Spanish-speaking
  community and patrons want, not just what staff
  think they want.

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Recommendations
Bilingual Publications, Inc. Lectorum
Brodart / Books on Wings Baker and Taylor

• Develop relationships with vendors.

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Recommendations

• Content should be as current as possible and
  accurate, particularly in areas of
• medical, legal and scientific information.

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• Loida Garcia-Febo
• Loida.Garcia-Febo_at_queenslibrary.org