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Somali bilingual family story time highlighted as tool for early literacy and cultural connection
Summary
A community specialist described an intergenerational Somali bilingual story time that mixes language instruction, parenting tips and referrals; staff said similar culturally specific programs are being piloted across the system.
Rukiya Abdi, a community specialist with Saint Paul Public Library, told the board that her Somali bilingual family story time combines early-literacy activities, basic Somali-language instruction and brief parenting guidance to reach immigrant families and support language preservation.
Abdi recounted discovering a public library after arriving in the U.S. and said that early contact with librarians led her to use library resources and later to become a community educator. "I went there, and the person said,…
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