02.19.06
serving Latinos
Libraries adapt to serve Latinos
Officials work to provide easier access, more selection
– reported by DesMoinesRegister.com
Libraries in Des Moines, Perry and across the nation are trying to meet a growing demand for Spanish-language books, programs and services and make it easier for Latinos to obtain library cards.
Latino activists in Perry four months ago asked their library officials to increase the number of books and materials in Spanish and consider changing the identification requirements necessary for newcomers to obtain library cards.
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The trend is happening elsewhere across the country as libraries try to improve accessibility for Latinos, boost their collections and add bilingual staff, said Laura Maldonado , president of the Washington, D.C., metro chapter of REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking.
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owa’s Hispanic population grew 26.2 percent, to an estimated 104,119, between 2000 and 2004, according to the latest Census data. Projections show the state’s Latino population will grow to 269,830 by 2030. Perry’s Latino population also has increased, from 47 people in 1990 to 1,873 counted in the 2000 census.
In Des Moines, Spanish-language materials are being moved to the front of the library to improve access. Signs will be posted in Spanish, said Lorna Truck, deputy library director.
Neither the Des Moines nor the Perry library has information about the libraries in Spanish on its Web site.
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