It comes as no surprise that public perception of libraries is shifting – drastically.

Libraries are no longer just houses for books. As communities and technologies evolve, libraries must keep up with the changes to remain centers for lifelong learning. As a result, many libraries are doing everything they can to provide cultural resources and learning opportunities for the increasingly diverse communities they serve.

In this paper, we explore how public libraries are responding to these demands through programming and resources, including:

Language Classes and Conversation Groups

Foreign Movie Nights

Cultural Exhibits and Events

Read around the World

Story Times

Online Language Materials

Each segment includes real-world examples from public libraries, from an informative Holy Qur’an Exhibition at Sycamore Public Library in Illinois to an adult “Read around the World” program at Milwaukie Public Library in Oregon that encourages reading from diverse authors.

For more advice and examples of linguistic and multicultural programming that you can incorporate in your library, download the free white paper.