Citizenship, Multi-lingual Resources Offered at Des Plaines Library

The following information was submitted by Claire Greene of the Des Plaines Public Library.

Immigration can be an incredibly difficult transition for many individuals and families. Adjusting to the norms of a new culture and society and, in many cases, learning an entirely new language, are significant challenges.

Surviving in such an unfamiliar landscape would be hard enough without the additional stress of garnering a long-term visa or citizenship. Fortunately, the Des Plaines Public Library offers a multitude of resources for families that recently immigrated to the U.S.

Citizenship and literacy materials are available on the fourth floor in the Language Center. These materials include books, audiobooks and CD-ROMs, which are specifically targeted toward adult learners.

For adults seeking English proficiency, Learn to Read classes, led by Oakton Community College, are held twice weekly in the large meeting rooms on the first floor.

For a taste of the comforts of home in a new place, there is a well-developed foreign language collection on the third floor. This collection includes books in many languages including Gujarati, Polish, Russian and Spanish. There are also DVDs in many languages, and music by artists from all over the globe.

Families with young children, between the ages of two and eight, may also be interested in bilingual story time, held on Monday nights in both Spanish and English, and on Wednesdays in Polish and English.

The Des Plaines Public Library’s website and catalog may be viewed in English or Spanish. To change the website to Spanish, select the "En Español" link on the left sidebar. To switch the catalog to Spanish, click the drop-down menu at the top of the screen, in the upper left hand corner.

If you, or anyone you know, are in need of additional resources, please come in and speak with us. There are many bilingual staff-members, who speak Polish, Russian and Spanish fluently.

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