Library launches yearlong event focused on English as a second language

BURLINGTON, Ky. - The Boone County Public Library is reaching out to community members who speak English as a second language.

The library held a bilingual storytime event on June 1 that brought the library to families living at Mosby’s Point trailer park. It featured the library’s Community Center on Wheels.

Six children and their mothers attended the event, which featured stories read in both English and Spanish. Attendees checked out books and received cards with bilingual text offering activity ideas, suggested reading materials and information concerning early literacy.

Organizers chose the Mosby’s Point location because there is a large population of residents who speak English as a second language and Spanish as their primary language.

“Based on the 2008 U.S. Census estimates, the Hispanic population in Boone County has more than doubled in the last ten years and the library has seen a similar increase in Spanish-speaking patrons using its services,” said Adriana Silva, the project’s coordinator.

The program is made possible through a $5,000 grant the library received from the American Library Association. The library also plans to use money from the grant to build literacy services for adults in the community who speak English as a second language.

The library plans to host its next bilingual storytime on Tuesday, July 6 at Mosby’s Point trailer park.