Library Collection Development for Spanish Language Materials
Library Collection Development for Spanish Language Materials
There are currently 50.2 million Latinos in the U.S. The US Census estimates
that by 2050, Latino population rise to 132.8 million people, so that people
identifying themselves as part of that ethnicity will comprise 30 percent of the
population. (US Census, 2012)
Despite this exponential growth, many services to Latino populations are
limited. In libraries, an awareness of Latino outreach service exists, but many
libraries still struggle to provide comprehensive services equal to that of other
ethnicities.
One note about semantics: In this paper, I will refer to the ethnic population
involved as Latinos. While both terms Hispanic and Latino refer to the same
population, and both are utilized by the United States government to identify them,
Latino is the term used primarily on the west coast of the country, and therefore
more familiar to the author.
The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the
American Library Association(ALA) addresses the difficulty libraries face when
offering service to Latinos: “Library services to Spanish-speaking users can be
complex: nationality, regional differences and culture provide myriad combination
within that community.” (RUSA, 2007). Latinos are represented by many
subcultures, which range in English language fluency/ literacy levels, as well as
literary interests. The diverse nature of the Latino demographic is comparable,
Library Collection Development for Spanish Language Materials
however, to that of non-Hispanic English speakers, and in terms of library collection
development, many of the practices are the same.
There are many factors that may keep many Latino patrons away from the
library. particularly undocumented immigrants. Migrant farm workers make up
large parts of many rural communities, and serving these patrons requires slightly
different strategies for providing services, including collection development.
This paper examines the challenges to providing a Spanish language
collection in public libraries, and how collection development is closely tied into
Latino outreach in general. How can public libraries engage these communities? In
what ways can these methods be applied to collection development?
History
Historically, Latino outreach within libraries has been lacking. Prior to the
1970’s, there was little to no mention of Spanish language services or materials in
the library literature (Buck et al, 2004; Güereña & Erazo, 2000). Early expectations
for Latinos followed something more akin to “English only” practices, and that
Spanish speakers should learn English in order to use the library, with providing
them the resources. This changed in 1988, when the ALA, allied with the National
Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish
Speaking (REFORMA) published Guidelines for Library Services to Hispanics.
(Güereña & Erazo, 2000) Since then, resources allocated to library services to
Latinos have grown exponentially, ranging in topics from collection development to
library programming.
Establishing Services
Library Collection Development for Spanish Language Materials
The first step to engaging any community is to identify community
characteristics and user needs utilizing a community needs analysis. According to
Gregory (2011) stated,
“Knowledge of the service community, whether a geographical area or an
organization, is the keystone of effective collection development. The more the
collection development staff knows about the work roles, general interests,
education, information and communication behavior, values and related
characteristics of potential library users, the more likely it is that the collection will
be able to provide the necessary information when it is needed.” (page number)
This is especially true for Latino communities. Similarly to other ethnic
demographics, Latinos vary widely in their education and literacy levels, including
cultural differences based on national background. Understanding the needs of the
Latino community is no different than understanding the needs of any other
population, although the results will vary.
One particularly successful tactic used in identifying and connecting with
Latino populations is to reach out to other aid organizations in the community. Local
migrant worker advocacy groups, schools and school programs, public health
offices, legal aid programs, churches, community non-profits, labor organizations
are all good organizations to connect with. Librarians can also take their outreach
out of the library by supplying materials or a library presence at the locations
themselves. (Buck, 2004, Klopstein et al, 2010). Building a relationship with these
services is also mutually beneficial; there is a receptive audience that has already
built trust with the organization, and the library can help promote the service to
patron who may not be aware of it (Diaz, 2005).
There is also opportunity in using the library’s experiences with outside
organizations in collection development. Use the interest of the various groups as
Library Collection Development for Spanish Language Materials
suggestions for collection development. Many of these materials should already be
purchased for the library collection, such as GED or Citizenship resources in
Spanish. But if you know that there will be a GED class being held every month,
stocking up on additional copies of resources will increase the library’s relevancy
with those students, but also build a support network with those organizations.
Children are also an excellent target for library Latino outreach and
collection development. Latino culture places a strong emphasis on the importance
of family and children, so bilingual library programs, such as story times, that
engage the entire family are especially successful in bring more Latino patrons to
the library. Even for adult-only programs, providing concurrent children’s
programming will enable the parents to attend without having to find childcare.
Parents with limited English skills have difficulties assisting their children
scholastically, and the library can help fill in some of the gaps (Diaz, 2005, Klopstein
et al, 2010). This is also where building a partnership with local schools or Head
Start agencies can be especially beneficial.
In terms of collection development, children’s bilingual materials can be
beneficial to adults as well, especially those with a lower level of literacy. English
language learners can use bilingual children's books as an easy practice for
developing language skills. (DelGuidice, 2007). For the children, providing materials
in their native language at all levels of literacy will promote family reading in
Spanish. Often children become translators or mediators for the their parents in
situations outside of the home, so providing materials to help balance those
Library Collection Development for Spanish Language Materials
relationships gives the library additional promotional benefits for engaging Latinos
(Diaz, 2005).
Previous studies comparing public library services within markets with high
majority/minority populations have also found greater use of juvenile materials and
services, educations software, the Internet and the online catalog in Latino
communities. (Marquis, 2003).
Use of the online catalog by Spanish speakers presents its own set of
problems. Currently, many libraries don’t have the resources or staff available to
translate search subject terms into Spanish, often relegating Spanish language
material to the subject headings of “Hispanic or Hispanic Americans”. This does not
appropriately represent the variety of topics covered by Spanish language materials.
Also, translating subject headings using cultural terms rather than by-the-letter
translations will assist in ease of access during the search process. Thankfully,
“significant improvements have been made in the development of digital access
tools including online catalogs of Hispanic and ethnic collections, indexes to
periodical literature such as the Chicano Database and the Hispanic American
Periodicals Index (HAPI), and subject vocabularies such as the Chicano Thesaurus
and Bilindex” (Buck et al, 2004). Online resources, described further below, also
provide quick links to translation of subject headings.
In terms of physical collections, the Spanish materials area should be as
comfortable and welcoming as possible. The section should be separate from the
English language sections in order to provide ease of access to those looking for
materials. (Buck, 2004) In addition to books, foreign language newspapers, popular
Library Collection Development for Spanish Language Materials
magazines translated into Spanish (like People en Español) and fotonovelas (short
comics for adults) should be acquisitioned for the collection, as well as an area for
browsing or reading within the library. As stated in the ALA Guidelines for Library
Services to Spanish-Speaking Library Users (2007), the importance of non-print
materials is paramount. Especially considering that keeping up-to-date with the
more popular music and DVD releases provide additional opportunities to maintain
relevancy.
Currently, the greatest challenge to Spanish collection development is limited
availability from foreign language publishers. Many larger publishers in the U.S. are
beginning to expand their Spanish language materials, but others, especially those
involved with children’s publications are far behind. In lieu of offering materials
written first in Spanish by Latino authors, publishers will supply popular English
materials that have been translated. This creates a gap in authentic Spanish
materials, and creates a cultural void in library collections. (Marquis, 2003). Most
Spanish collection librarians advocate using similar procedures and guidelines for
collection development as you would for any other language collection, with the
exception of ordering from publishers. In that regard, utilizing the services of
smaller, independent publisher will secure the availability of many Spanish
materials better than the larger publishing houses (Buck, 2004, Callendar, 2008,
DelGuidice, 2007, Klopstein et al, 2006).
Library trade publications, such as Public Libraries, Library Journal or
American Libraries offer additional articles about a variety of collection
development resources. Both the ALA and REFORMA also provide numerous
Library Collection Development for Spanish Language Materials
publications, many specifically focused toward collection development librarians, or
librarian with limited Spanish speaking ability.
There also exists a plethora of available websites, many recommended by
collection development librarians. WebJunction, an online training site for library
professionals, has a page of training specifically for Spanish speakers
(http://www.webjunction.org/explore-topics/spanish.html). Spanish in Our
Libraries/Public Libraries Using Spanish (SOL/PLUS) is a website maintained by a
Latino outreach librarian that provides collection development tools, as well as
signage, Spanish language help, and links to translations of Dewey Decimal numbers
and catalog terms in Spanish (http://www.sol-plus.net/index.htm).
After a slow start, the growth of awareness regarding Spanish speakers in the
library has continued to expand service resources. Even in the recent political
climate surrounding immigration issues, public libraries can provide advocacy and
services to Spanish speakers of all backgrounds. Collection development for Spanish
language resources does still present its challenges, but thanks to the growing
advocacy by public librarians, it is becoming more and more plausible to provide
comprehensive access to library materials and services.
References
Allweil, E. (2003). Foreign-language collections in the public library. Public Libraries,
42(6), 354– 355.
Library Collection Development for Spanish Language Materials
Astroff, R. J. (2001). Revitalizing a foreign literature collection. Collection Building, 20(1),
11–18. doi:10.1108/01604950110366675
Buck, K., Millikan, K., & Rider, C. (2004). Library services for hispanic patrons. Indiana
Libraries, 23(1), 23–29.
Callendar, R. (2008). Reaching out to your Spanish-speaking community. Colorado
Libraries, 34(4), 27–28.
DelGuidice, M. (2007). Cultivating Spanish and Bilingual Collection: Ensuring the
Information Literacy Connection. Library Media Connection, 26(3), 34–35.
Díaz, R. (2005). Developing Library Outreach Programs for Migrant Farm Workers.
Florida Libraries, 47(1), 12–14.
Güereña, S., & Erazo, E. (2000). Latinos and librarianship. Library Trends, 49(1), 138–181.
Gregory, V. L. (2011). Collection development and management for 21st century library
collections: an introduction. New York, NY: Neal-Schuman .
Gross, B., Rea, J., & Castro-Reino, P. (2006). A Library for All: Denver Public Library
Designs Services to Meet the Needs of the Hispanic Community. Colorado Libraries,
32(4), 32–36.
Guidelines for Library Services to Spanish-Speaking Library Users. (n.d.). Retrieved May
5, 2013, from http://www.ala.org/rusa/resources/guidelines/guidespanish
Guidelines for the Development and Promotion of Multilingual Collections and Services.
(n.d.). Retrieved May 5, 2013, from
http://www.ala.org/rusa/resources/guidelines/guidemultilingual
Library Collection Development for Spanish Language Materials
Hall‐Ellis, S. D. (2008). Subject access for readers’ advisory services: Their impact on
contemporary Spanish fiction in selected public library collections. Public Library
Quarterly, 27(1), 1–18. doi:10.1080/01616840802122377
Henczel, S. (2003). Selecting and acquiring library materials in languages other than
English: establishing non-English collections for public, school and academic
libraries. Collection Building, 22(3), 141–145. doi:10.1108/01604950310484474
Jenson, B. (2007). PLUS: public libraries using Spanish. Retrieved from http://www.solplus.net/plus/home.htm
Klopstein, E., Murillo, L., Petterchak, L., & Russell, B. (2009). Welcoming Newcomers with
Practical Library Programs. Public Libraries, 48(6), 43–47.
Klopstein, E., Russell, B., Castro-Reino, P., Murillo, L. & Petterchak, L. (2010). Library
services to immigrants and english language learners. In J. Dilger-Hill & E.
MacCreaigh (Eds.), On the road with outreach: Mobile library services Santa Barbara,
CA: Libraries Unlimited.
Marquis, S. K. (2003). Collections and Services for the Spanish-Speaking: Issues and
Resources. Public Libraries, 42(2), 106–112.
Milo, A. (n.d.). Why buy spanish books?. Retrieved from
http://reforma.membershipsoftware.org/content.asp?admin=Y&contentid=75
Quesada, T. D. (2007, November). Spanish spoken here: eliminating Spanish-language
fiction undermines the validity of public libraries. American Libraries, 38(10), 40+.
REFORMA. (2012, March 17). ¡Bienvenidos! Outreach and Publicity for Spanish
Speakers. Retrieved May 6, 2013, from
Library Collection Development for Spanish Language Materials
http://www.webjunction.org/documents/webjunction/_Bienvenidos_Outreach_and
_Publicity_for_Spanish_Speakers.html
Sawczyn, L. (2006). Selecting Spanish Language Materials for Public Libraries. Colorado
Libraries, 32(4), 29–31.
Activity
Level 1
Level 2
Content &
Resources
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
Writing
Critical
analysis
APA
Due date
Met length requirement
Contained a limited
resource list
Resource list lacked
diversity
[0-5 points]
 Writing was
grammatically weak
 Writing did not
demonstrate knowledge of
academic conventions
[0-2 points]
 Paper covered content but
there was little or no
critical analysis of the
topic
[0-2 points]
 Ignored many or all APA6
conventions
[0- points]
 Did not meet
[0 points]
Met length requirement
Resource list included
abundant citations from
diverse and appropriate
resources.
[6-10 points]
 Writing was grammatically
strong
 Followed academic writing
conventions
[3-4]

Your
score
10
3
Paper covered the content
and the author provided
critical analysis as
appropriate
[3-5 points]
 Generally followed APA 6
[2-4]
5

1
Met due date
[2 points]
4
Total points: 23
Thank you for taking this on. I enjoyed reading your paper. This is a topic near and dear
to my heart. Your writing was fairly strong, but you need to focus a bit more on writing
conventions. I embedded some comments. Nice work.
Library Collection Development for Spanish Language Materials
Library Collection Development for Spanish Language Materials
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