Used with permission - (c) Bill Barnes & Gene Ambaum  Unshelved.com

Serving Immigrants and Linguistically Diverse

Communities

PLA - 2014

OPL Service Area

Omaha (Douglas County) De-mographics - 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!

Languages Spoken by Omaha Newcomers

• Arabic• Bosnian

• Bhutanese• Burmese• French

• Hmoung• Karen

• Kirundi• Nepali• Spanish• Somali

• Sudanese• Sudanese-Nuer

• Swahili

Collection – Removing BarriersMain Vendors

Locally Published Materials

Physical collection now has own space & cataloged as World Language Collection

Signage in the first languages of

Omaha’s newest residents reduces language barriers

How Cataloged?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.

New Items are added on a yearly basis

"What Every Immigrant Needs to Know” guides in

Nepali, Karen, Arabic, Somali, Burmese, English

and Spanish

Very

Popular!

Collection – Curating InfoRefugee/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

The Karen PageHas 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

The Mentor Page

Resources for mentors to understand different immigrant and refugee cultures, phrasebooks in foreign languages, and teaching guides

The ESL Page

Links to • ESL Library Materials• Conversational Classes • Tumblebooks • Mango Languages

Libguide Hits 2012 – 730 2013 - 1190

2014- 370 YTD

Partnerships & CoalitionsLFS, 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 &

citizenship classes at our South Branch - whose staff is

50% bilingual & USCIS trained.

World Refugee DayBooth - Promote Homework Help/Tutor.com, Brochures Arabic, Karen, Spanish. (new will be Somali, Burmese, Nepali)

Show video & collection in HS library

New Americans Task Force formed!

• Mission: Coordinate and connect

library staff with newest Americans to

provide relevant library services

What are the top 4 needs/concerns of refugees?

ESLFurther education after

HSMaintaining their culture

Connecting to others outside of their ethnic

group

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/

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

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

Fu

ture G

oals

Contact info: Judy Anghelescu janghelescu@omahalibrary.org 402-444-

4034http://www.slideshare.net/janghel

The beauty and price of the democratic way 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/