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Carlsbad library reports growth in Spanish and multilingual services, expands bilingual staff and programming
Summary
Library staff reviewed the history, collections and recent expansion of bilingual and Spanish-language services at the Library Learning Center and other branches, including collection sizes, program attendance and staff changes.
Library staff briefed the Library Board of Trustees on Wednesday about the scope and recent expansion of bilingual services across Carlsbad City Library locations, emphasizing Spanish-language collections, bilingual children’s programming and staff capacity at the Library Learning Center.
Emily Hardy, senior librarian of public services, said the Centro de Información began in 1991 and that the Library Learning Center has been the home for bilingual and literacy services since it opened in February 2008. “The Carlsbad City Library is committed to providing inclusive services for our bilingual and Spanish-speaking community members,” Hardy told the board.
Hardy and Christina Lorenzo, community outreach supervisor for bilingual services, said the library’s Spanish-language holdings are concentrated at the Library Learning Center and include 3,243 items there; Cole Library holds about 1,562 Spanish items and Dove Library about 1,869. Staff reported 8,072 total Spanish-material checkouts systemwide over the past 12 months and said the system also includes more than 500 items in languages other than Spanish.
The Library Learning Center provides frequent bilingual children’s programs — including toddler time and bilingual story time offered multiple times weekly — and recorded more more than 1,800 attendees in bilingual children’s programs during the past year. Staff noted that Dove Library recently introduced bilingual programming that has seen strong demand.
Hardy described a network of partnerships that support outreach, including coordination with the Carlsbad Unified School District and community organizations. Staff also highlighted operational steps taken to strengthen bilingual service delivery: first-floor staff at the Library Learning Center are fluent in Spanish, the city implemented additional hourly pay for bilingual library technicians effective Aug. 8, 2024, and a newly promoted library assistant, Jasmine Venancio, will start next week to assist with administration and programs.
For adults, the library runs a Spanish book club (established 2016), a new bilingual adult craft night (October 2024) held in Spanish and English simultaneously, and volunteer-led homework help for K–12 students whose parents face language barriers. Staff said the bilingual services plan includes outreach, community partnership evaluation and expanded programming across library locations.
There were no public comments on this item and trustees did not ask follow-up questions after the presentation.
