To meet our community’s growing needs, the Oak Park Public Library partnered with Triton College this spring to offer an eight-week conversational Spanish course for 12 library staff members at the Main Library.
The course was designed to help staff provide more responsive customer service and build relationships with Spanish-speaking community members who frequent the library.
Rashmi Swain, Adult Education and Career Services Librarian, says she took the class to be able to help Spanish-speaking patrons by phone or in person.
Now, she says, “I feel well-equipped to answer questions regarding what is needed to get a library card, where the computers are located, how to scan and print documents, and I can provide directions if the resource that they’re seeking is located on a different floor.”
Programs, collections & a dedicated Latine Language & Culture Librarian
Nora Sanchez is the Latine Language & Culture Librarian at the Oak Park Public Library. She is dedicated to fostering literacy, inclusivity, and lifelong learning while providing diverse resources and engaging the community in cultural enrichment. She speaks English, Spanish, and Spanglish!
Nora says that watching her mother struggle to navigate her new home after migrating to the United States from Jalisco, Mexico, fueled her desire to live in a world where everyone has access to the resources, services, and programs they need to thrive.
Learn more and see programs and collections we offer for Spanish speakers »