Library launches multi-lingual video series

April 16, 2009 - In response to Multnomah County's growing linguistic diversity, Multnomah County Library has created Welcome to the Library, an online video series in Chinese, Russian and Vietnamese that introduces speakers of these languages to the many services offered by the public library.

Viewable from the library's website, the Chinese, Russian and Vietnamese  versions of Welcome to the Library include eight chapters that focus on useful information such as how to get a library card and how to use a library computer.  All three are also posted on YouTube and are available as DVDs that can be checked out from the library. 

Featuring the library's bilingual staff and community volunteers, Welcome to the Library is the latest effort of the library's Target Language Initiative, which provides culturally effective library services and information to speakers of the four most frequently used languages in Multnomah County (after English). 

Creation of the Welcome to the Library series was supported in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Oregon State Library. 

DVD sets of the Welcome to the Library series are being provided to all public library systems in Oregon for use in their own outreach work.