Starting a Foreign Language Book Discussion Group in Your Library
Wendy Pender, KCLS
Jose Garcia, KCLS
Chinese Book Discussion
Genesis
Huge Chinese storytime, 70 kids. What can we do to outreach to this community for adults?
Facilitator
You won’t have complete control. Different culture, way of talking to each other. Cultivate partnerships.
A page led the discussions. She had formerly taught psychology in China. She had to be approached, email was best so they could get it interpreted. She trained in with other groups. She’s now created a community with the book discussion folks.
You may get a spouse. Be very open. You don’t know what you don’t know. Ask around, “where else would you suggest.” She would have friends “translate.”
No politics. No religion.
Selection
Chinese books for Chinese readers. Scholarly books might be our tack, better to select things people actually want to read. Make friends with whoever’s buying materials. This will help you to get things from outside of the normal channels. Have to work within the confines of the system. Elicit selector’s help. Hard to add books to the system, need someone who knows the language, can be slow. Vendors can help to get things across to you. Get business cards from vendors to share with selection officer. Also, patrons can help with finding & selecting materials that make more sense to the program.
Funding
The foundation center.org is a terrific resource. Grants.
Success/I’m Here for a Better Life
15 people per discussion. Every book goes. Self-perpetuating, very little work for coordinator to do. In mainland China, it’s illegal to convene, discuss ideas. Calling it a “reading group” was an important distinction because no one would be there to “report” on disagreements. They were super appreciative. Testimonials are helpful, if they won’t come and talk, you can speak for them.
Mexican American Book Discussion
1-2% leisure reading in Mexico. Carries over to here.
Huge populations who see the library as after-school daycare, nothing useful to them otherwise.
Starting
Surveys became scrap paper. Made community contacts – schools, churches, merchants. Took a year or so. Email word of mouth worked to individuals and organizations. Professionals and moms responded.
Grant
Got an ALA grant for classic titles, Isabel Allende type of stuff. Can get letters of support and put quotes from them and comment cards into grant applications.
Discussion
5-6 people, met in library, had them write down questions on paper, threw it in a hat. In time, people wanted to learn about the immigrant experience and politics. Jorge Ramos was a big hit as a Univision anchor who ‘s written about this. Very big discussion.
Materials
Audiobooks help. Also, oral stories can be a terrific conversation. Less intimidating, can form community, be introduced to library resources. There is no central place for Spanish language best sellers. Also, solicit ideas from patrons…get to what they want to read – conversation groups can be a good forum.
Circulation
Was able to bring the books out, put them on display so they can actually circulate. Increased demand which lifted numbers for the group as well.
Slowly…
Eventually was able to see the numbers rise in all aspects of usership. Circulation numbers on the collection were quantifiable proof.
No comments:
Post a Comment