We’re excited to share that your locations have received the "Basic Spanish for Public Service" one-sheet. This resource is designed to equip Public Service staff with library-specific Spanish vocabulary to provide basic assistance at any service desk. Our goal is to empower all staff members to assist Spanish-speaking patrons with simple inquiries, reducing the need to call for assistance from a Spanish-speaking colleague.
To create this one-sheet, myself and Christina Ordoñez identified the most common interactions occurring in Spanish at our service desks. We also gathered input from other staff members through one of our Google Chat Spaces. I then collaborated with Diana to ensure the project aligned with learning and development best practices. Finally, Marketing took over to develop a clear and user-friendly guide for everyone.
Please note that this one-sheet has certain limitations. It is not intended to teach conversational Spanish or serve as a comprehensive guide for more complex public service questions. If you’re interested in expanding your Spanish skills to better assist patrons in the Library, we encourage you to explore the free resources listed below.
We will evaluate and update this one-sheet every six months. If you have any suggestions or feedback, please reach out to myself or Diana.
Infopeople's Survival Spanish for Library Staff - Audio recordings of library interaction basics
Mango Languages - Spanish for Librarians course - you need your library card to access
Rosetta Stone - you’ll need to create an account
If you simply want some pronunciation help, check out World’s Most Complete Spanish Pronunciation Guide [+Audio]
Thank you y gracias a todos!
Esther Daranciang, Children's Librarian
Day-Riverside