Serving Immigrants and Linguistically Diverse Communities

1. Used with permission - (c) Bill Barnes & Gene Ambaum Unshelved.com
Serving Immigrants and
Linguistically Diverse
Communities
PLA - 2014

2. OPL Service Area
Omaha (Douglas County)
Demographics - 2010
511,935 pop.
White 72 %
Black 11%
Hispanic 11%
Asian 3%
Other 3%
• Refugees comprise
of approx 5.5% of
Omaha’s population
(2014)
Omaha has one of the
largest Sudanese
populations outside of
Sudan!

3. Languages Spoken by
Omaha Newcomers
• Arabic
• Bosnian
• Bhutanese
• Burmese
• French
• Hmoung
• Karen
• Kirundi
• Nepali
• Spanish
• Somali
• Sudanese
• Sudanese-Nuer
• Swahili

4. Collection – Removing Barriers
Main Vendors
Locally Published
Materials

5. Physical collection now has own space & cataloged as
World Language Collection
Signage in the first
languages of
Omaha’s newest
residents reduces
language barriers

6. The language in the MARC record permits a canned search in
Bibliocommons, resulting in an easily accessible list titled
World Languages
If not in OCLC, use Google translate to get
idea of content, subject headings, etc.

7. New Items are added on
a yearly basis
"What Every Immigrant
Needs to Know” guides in
Nepali, Karen, Arabic,
Somali, Burmese, English
and Spanish

8. Collection – Curating Info
Refugee/Immigrant
Libguide
• cataloged in our ILS to
improve access
• continously updated
by staff
• links about credit,
online banking, using a
bank, Emergency room
care in certain
languages

9. The Karen Page
Has most hits!
Links to
• online news in Karen
• local agencies, ESL
classes, Karen items in
our catalog, citizenship
classes
• videos/PDFs on
parenting, bedbugs,
Medline Plus foreign
language health help
• videos of local
performances

10. The Mentor Page
Resources for mentors
to understand different
immigrant and refugee
cultures, phrasebooks
in foreign languages,
and teaching guides

11. The ESL Page
Links to
• ESL Library Materials
• Conversational Classes
• Tumblebooks
• Mango Languages
Libguide Hits
2012 – 730
2013 - 1190
2014- 370 YTD

12. Partnerships & Coalitions
LFS, SSCA shows
the Welcome to the
Library Videos
during refugee
orientations.
OPS Refugee and
Migrant Center serves
1,824 students & they
donate books made in
the Saturday refugee
class.
OPL partners with Literacy
Center of the Midlands who run
weekly ESL & citizenshipclasses
at our South Branch - whose
staffis 50% bilingual& USCIS
trained.

13. World Refugee Day
Booth - Promote
Homework
Help/Tutor.com,
Brochures Arabic,
Karen, Spanish.
(new will be Somali,
Burmese, Nepali)
Show video &
collection in HS
library

14. New Americans Task Force formed!
What are the top 4
needs/concerns of refugees?

15. New Americans Task Force formed!
Next Steps
 attend bi-monthly meetings of
Omaha Refugee Task Force
 share library programs/collections
that address newcomer concerns
 outreach to program directors to give
library tours, build relationships –
improves collection
citizenship corner with materials
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sbisson/

16.  English Conversation Circles –We
funded/created ESL Kits/Talk Time for
use in library meeting rooms with staff
doing 5 minute intros. Marketed
through email to local ESL Providers
Input from Literacy Center

17.  More English conversation opportunities at the library
 Presenting at LFS education seminar 2x yr
 Presentation 2x month at SSCA – train other staff
 Increase cultural orientation for staff through webinars
 Prepare one handout listing FREE stuff, FREE community
events, FREE services, etc
 Offer use of library meeting spaces and take this opportunity
to promote our literacy and library resources
 Create Library Bags for immigrants/refugees with Welcome to
the U.S. Guidebook to handout at cultural events

18. Contact info: Judy Anghelescu
janghelescu@omahalibrary.org 402-444-4034
http://www.slideshare.net/janghel
The beauty and price of the democraticway of life is a growing appreciation
of people's differences, not merely as tolerable, but as the essence of a rich
and rewarding human experience.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43584871@N07/