Bilingual services report: Spanish collection size, program attendance and school partnerships

Christina Lorenzo, the library’s Community Outreach Supervisor for Bilingual Services, presented an overview of bilingual collections, programs and partnerships, highlighting steady attendance and targeted outreach to Spanish‑speaking families.

Lorenzo said the system holds about 16,280 Spanish items with roughly 10,442 checkouts in the last year, and staff maintain a modest multilingual collection (more than 500 items across 10+ other languages). The Library Learning Center hosts three weekly bilingual children’s programs averaging about 35 participants; another branch offers bilingual story time twice weekly with an average of 58 attendees. Lorenzo said last week saw over 100 patrons at bilingual events, signaling strong community interest.

Bilingual Services maintains two continuous partnerships: with Carlsbad Unified School District community liaisons to distribute information to non‑English speaking families, and with Jefferson Elementary to bring bilingual craft programs to parents during drop‑off times. Lorenzo said staff also attend district advisory meetings and plan outreach at community events such as the Latino Family Book Festival at Mira Costa College.

"We currently have about 16,280 Spanish items throughout all library locations," Lorenzo said, and she emphasized staff are using patron feedback to integrate bilingual components into more existing programs.

Trustee Laufer asked what "craft" programming entails; Lorenzo said monthly adult crafts can include activities such as rolled beeswax candles, embroidery and recycled‑book flowers. Lorenzo said bilingual staff track event attendance and continue to refine offerings based on demand.