The Linguist is a languages magazine for professional linguists, translators, interpreters, language professionals, language teachers, trainers, students and academics with articles on translation, interpreting, business, government, technology
Issue link: https://thelinguist.uberflip.com/i/527274
thelinguist.uberflip.com June/July The Linguist 11 FEATURES country, rather than more contemporary titles,' she says. norfolk and norwich library Services decided to use a supplier called Bright Books to keep their foreign language stock replenished and relevant. This is particularly important in their prison libraries, explains holden. 'For a large proportion of our local prison population, english is their second or third language, and we are fortunate to have Bright Books to stock our prison libraries with a range of foreign language fiction.' With 60% of the uk prison population lacking basic literacy skills, access to books in their own language is crucial. Best practice Sieghart's report highlights that access to libraries, and access to a good range of books within those libraries, needs to be consistent across the uk. its recommendations include setting up a taskforce to unify and disseminate best-practice guidelines among the 4,145 public libraries in the uk, which are run by 151 library authorities. When it comes to london, 'the challenge is keeping up with swiftly changing demographics to ensure that our provision is relevant and meeting the needs of our community,' says mike clarke, director of libraries across the boroughs of Westminster, kensington and chelsea, and hammersmith and Fulham. To meet the needs of the diverse people visiting and living in Westminster, a range of specific measures and resources have been put in place. These include a Bengali outreach worker and chinese language provision at charing cross library, catering to a large local chinese community. The borough's church Street library now caters for French expats following a pilot twinning project with the Bibliothèque Place des Fêtes in Paris. The libraries have already swapped more than 200 books, giving library users in Westminster access to a range of modern and classic titles by renowned authors such as Frédéric Beigbeder, michel houellebecq and JmG le clézio. Both libraries regularly hold cultural events, including children's arts events, coffee mornings and language drop-in sessions. a pen pal project has been arranged between pupils at king Solomon academy, close to church Street, and collège Budé, whose pupils use the Place des Fêtes library. 'The aim of the pilot project has always been to keep costs to an absolute minimum, so the only expense to the council has been my time in putting on the events and language sessions,' says librarian Julie Gadault, who instigated the partnership. Pulling together under-resourced local authorities are less able to cater for foreign language communities, so it is a case of responding to individual demands for books. 'librarians are pretty resourceful beings,' Smart enthuses. 'We also see many public libraries working with school libraries to source and share books, as they have statutory provision and more resources at their fingertips.' The growth of the public library movement, in the wake of the Public libraries act of 1850, relied heavily on the donations of philanthropists such as andrew carnegie, John Passmore edwards and henry Tate. in the same vein, amid the cuts, the uk's public library service now depends on volunteers. Since 2011, local authority cuts have led to the closure of 324 libraries and the handing over of 400 more to volunteers. This risks specialist collections, explains Smart. 'in Staffordshire, for example, 15 of its 27 libraries will be volunteer-led. These aren't under any obligation to provide a ubiquitous and inclusive service.' Smart feels that the volunteer-led model, with a lack of resources and proper regulation, will compromise foreign language stock and lead language communities to be forgotten. 'large eastern european communities in rural areas of the uk become isolated, with more and more mobile libraries disappearing, and then with their small local branch being community-led with little or no provision of books in their native language.' Digital lending although e-book lending currently accounts for just 0.86% of book lending in england, the digital revolution in the uk publishing industry is set to transform the way books are borrowed, and Sieghart says it is 'vital that libraries explore how to make e-lending practical for their customers'. at present, only 48% of uk libraries offer wi-fi. ciliP are advocates of e-lending and are campaigning for an extension of Public lending right to cover audiobooks, loans of on-site e-books and remote e-lending. 'The only place which has secured e-lending rights in their libraries is norway,' says Smart. 'if we had access to e-books in our libraries then this would really open up the market for lending books in a range of foreign languages.' Foreign language newspapers are also affected, with 70 publications cut in newham in 2011, with the purported aim of improving migrants' english, according to the mayor at the time, Sir robin Wales. in order to provide texts in a cost-effective way, libraries have been investing in translation software packages, which enable them to offer texts in 80 languages. Fees vary, usually costing £10,000-£20,000 a year, and library members can sometimes gain access at home as well. 'Funds are needed for these improvements,' says Smart. 'installing free wi-fi in the one in three libraries that still don't have it would be a good start.' COMMUNITY HUB French event at Church Street Library (far left); and Liverpool Library shelves (left) Terry kearney, 'B ookS oF knoWledGe PicTon liBrary liverPool', 17/5/13 via Flickr (cc By-nc 2.0) INCLUSIVE: Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library in The Forum community building