Hyperlinked Environment Blog Reflection: Libraries Welcoming Refugees and Newcomers

Reading the report by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (2015) and the article by Pyatetsky (2015) about how libraries around the world support refugees and immigrants reminded me of my own immigrant parents. My parents immigrated from Sri Lanka to Canada in the 1990s after fleeing the civil war. When they arrived, they spoke very little English and knew almost nothing about their new home. Their experience helped me understand the important role that libraries can play in supporting newcomers as they adapt to a new country.

The neighbourhood where my family lived had a large population of Sri Lankan immigrants and refugees. As a result, the local library branch maintained a collection of books and movies in the Tamil language. I remember my mother taking my sister and me to the library every weekend to browse these collections. They offered ESL classes, information about the Canadian citizenship and driver’s licence tests, as well as resources on employment, education, housing, and basic computer skills. The library also became a gathering place where Tamil speaking parents and their children could connect and build a sense of community. As I grew older, I noticed that the library’s multilingual collections evolved to reflect the changing demographics of that neighbourhood. In addition to Tamil, the library offered materials in Hindi, Tibetan, Vietnamese, Polish, and Chinese.

As I mentioned in a previous blog, free internet access, public computers, and Wi-Fi hotspot lending programs are beneficial for refugees and immigrants, who may not be able to afford internet service or technology for their homes. These resources provide access to online services for applying to jobs, searching for housing, finding educational opportunities, and other important tasks.

Many newcomers leave behind the comfort and familiarity of their home countries and arrive in a new country with a mix of fear, uncertainty, and hope for a better future. Public libraries can provide a safe, welcoming, and inclusive space where they feel supported as they adjust to their new lives. Libraries can also serve as bridges between long time residents and newcomers by creating opportunities to build relationships and learn about one another’s cultures and experiences. Encouraging these connections is especially important, as it helps foster understanding and reduces the misconceptions and prejudice that newcomers often face.

Figure 1: The Parkdale branch of the Toronto Public Library. The branch that helped my parents when they immigrated to Canada.

Toronto Public Library. (n.d.). Parkdale. https://tpl.ca/locations/pk/

References

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. (2015). Responding! Public libraries and refugees. https://www.ifla.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/assets/public-libraries/publications/library-service-to-refugees.pdf 

Pyatetsky, J. (2015, November 24). Refugees supported by public libraries in Europe. Public Libraries Online. https://publiclibrariesonline.org/2015/11/refugees-supported-by-public-libraries-in-europe/