Críticas Magazine

Bruce Jensen

Computer classes win new friends for a Wisconsin library
July 12, 2008

Up in Marathon County, Wisconsin, there's some more great media coverage of a library striving to serve families of Spanish-speaking backgrounds.  The Wausau Daily Herald today features a series of computer classes.  Launched at a community service organization, the classes were moved to the larger computer lab at the public library and cleverly wedded to its other services.

Some highlights of "Computer class connects Spanish speakers, library":

The library will become more a familiar place to Hispanic residents this summer as a result of efforts by its staff members and The Neighbors’ Place.

[Instructor Jennifer] Lund encouraged the students to bring their children so they can participate in story time and other activities.

The offerings will allow families to learn about what the library has to offer while helping to improve their English skills, said Lund.

Since the weekly class began, all of the families involved have signed up for library cards...The families gather for a snack first before they break into their activities. A librarian typically reads to the children before they search for books to check out.

“It’s a great way for children and their families to develop a habit of regularly coming to the library,” library assistant Ruth Grauvogl said.

It also is a chance for students to learn stories in English that they might already know in Spanish, she said.

Despite the almost inevitable snarky reader comment ("The focus should be on English, not computer skills"), the article offers a fine example of a library collaborating with its neighbors to help build a better, smarter community.

Posted by Bruce Jensen on July 12, 2008 | Comments (0)