Like all social institutions, the public library has had to evolve with the times. And as Latinos, especially Latino immigrants, have increasingly settled in Chicago’s suburbs over the years, suburban libraries have developed ways to better serve their changing communities.
“People come here for the passport services. People come here to get their BMI, blood sugar and cholesterol,” said Round Lake Area Library head of community engagement Sandra Lopez. “People come and check out our library of things, which include sewing machines or telescopes or Roku sticks, wifi hotspots — all those things that you wouldn’t necessarily think of as part of a library.”
At the Round Lake Area Library, a monthly book club offers readers the opportunity to discuss literature in their own language.
“What they told me is that they feel that this is an area, space and time where they can dedicate to themselves,” said Elvira Flores, who runs the book club in Round Lake.
“We talk about the book and the different opinions of everyone in the book and then only in their lives, because we always find something that we relate to in real life.”
Book club member Sandra Camarena said she wasn’t much of a reader before visiting the Round Lake Area Library but joining the book club made her a fan of reading.
“Sometimes there is a barrier because of our language, so having this opportunity in our library to come and get books in Spanish is very interesting and it was one of the things that motivated me to come,” said Camarena in Spanish.
Lopez says during the early days of the pandemic, patrons increasingly turned to the library for help with problems that went far beyond the stacks.
“For example, the school district has gone virtual. Most of the families in the school district did not have computers or did not know how to use computers and also had a language barrier,” Lopez recalled. “So we had our partner in the school district come to us to say, ‘hey, we have this issue.’ Can you help him?’ And we developed computer classes that we could give to parents in need.”
In west suburban Northlake, Northlake Public Library bilingual adult reference librarian Karla Alba says the staff develops its programming based on input from the community.
“That means they’re trusting us more in terms of what they ask for, and if they need something they don’t know if we provide it or not, they feel like they can come in and ask for it,” Alba said. “It’s important for people to know that we are here to help them with their language and that we can also celebrate their background at the same time.”
Part of making the library welcoming to Latinos includes programming and signage in Spanish, said Northlake Public Library youth services librarian Jackie Ceron.
“When we have new families coming here for the first time, I want them to know that this is their library, this is their space,” Ceron said.
Ceron draws on her own upbringing when selecting resources for the children who come to her library.
“The other day I bought books about El Cucuy, which is like a childhood myth that especially the Mexican community grew up hearing, that we are now in the time of history,” said Ceron.
Northlake patrons Fiona Ayala and Noemi Guizar Miranda both say they started coming to the Northlake Public Library to find activities for their children. But now they keep coming back to themselves, too.
“I was born in Mexico, I came here and I recently took my citizenship test,” Ayala said. “The fact that they offer that program so you can study for the test. It was one of the most amazing things.”
“It’s surprising because no other place celebrates Children’s Day and here, they celebrate it,” Guizar Miranda said in Spanish. “Mother’s Day, Day of the Dead – they do similar events to our traditions that make us feel proud of our roots.”
Both Ayala and Guizar Miranda say they often recommend the Northlake Library to friends and family, which librarians say is key to building trust in the community.
“A lot of the time we feel like patrons come in because they talked to a family member, or a friend, or just someone in the community,” said Alba.
“It makes me feel really good that there’s a place where you can feel comfortable that people are still willing to help you when you know you need help,” Ayala said. “And it’s the library – a place I never expected.”
