Who are we reaching by different modes of communication and outreach?

This is a part of the idea of the hyperlinked library model, where services are relevant and available to people in the community and allows them to participate or come in, either in-person or virtually. Additionally, this part from Garcia-Febo’s article, “creating institutions that expand minds and open futures,” stood out to me with understanding what the purpose behind libraries are and what they meant to other people. In order to examine this concept further, I wanted to focus on the hyperlinked library model and how it ties into the services libraries offer for English language learners and the connections these services make.

Hwang Lynch (2015) explores how Minnesota’s Hennepin County Library system provides outreach and services outside of the typical expectation for English language learners. This library system serves a diverse community that speaks Spanish, Hmong, and Somali, and they have community outreach liaisons that have an understanding of both the traditions and history of the respective countries the patrons are from. One liaison notes that an important aspect of outreach is explaining what the public library offers besides books and how it can be utilized as a valuable resource.

When looking at this from the perspective of the hyperlinked library model, trust and building relationships is essential. Building trust and relationships can look like many different things, some of which include going to churches, holiday events, having programs aimed at different age ranges such as multilingual Kindergarten readiness or creative writing programs for teens, or items in the collection that are in languages other than English.

As for a more personal example that I see at work, one of the resources offered is “Conversations in English,” where it is an approachable class where English language learners are able to converse in English with others in a more casual setting. One of the perks of this format is that it allows patrons to come in and be familiar with the library and the local community. Even more special, is that patrons can make connections with each other and make friends or acquaintances with people who are also attending weekly.

References
Garcia-Febo, Loida. (2018, November 1). Serving with love. American Libraries. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2018/11/01/serving-with-love/
Hwang Lynch, Grace. (2015, April 1). Libraries and English language learners. School Library Journal. https://www.slj.com/story/libraries-and-english-language-learners