The history and development of Spanish-language initiatives in public libraries: a case study

Abstract

The purpose of this case study is to examine how overall services, programs, resources and collections offered in Spanish have developed over the course of the past century at a single library district in Colorado. The study uses the Hispanic history and current demographics of the regional context as a foundation, as well research supporting both multilingualism and the role that libraries play in creating community cohesion in multicultural and multilingual communities to evaluate the findings. The findings, based on archival research and interviews, include a narrative of the development of the Spanish-language initiatives developed over the course of the past century, and a summary of the challenges and obstacles encountered by the interviewees. Five recommendations are made in response to ongoing challenges and obstacles, ranging from increased promotion of the library to Hispanic families and communities, to increased representation and inclusion of Hispanic community members at all administrative levels and on the library board.