REMARKS
Expansion of language services and programs for asylum seekers
0:55:16
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155 sec
Dr. Brandy McNeil discusses the New York Public Library's expanded language services and programs, with a focus on supporting asylum seekers and enhancing overall language access.
- A new program was launched to help asylum seekers at a beginner language level
- The library uses Mango Languages and the WeSpeak program for language instruction
- Funding is needed for translation of various materials, including political information
- New ILA devices have been introduced to facilitate real-time translation in branches
- The library has expanded its adult services to include digital literacy and workforce development alongside ESOL programs
Dr. Brandy McNeil
0:55:16
I will go next.
0:55:18
So thank you for this question.
0:55:20
We we do quite a lot.
0:55:21
What I would like to say is, you know, we also participate with the mayor's office of immigrant affairs, and we offer we speak So we do a bunch of that.
0:55:31
We also have our new program that we launched to really help a lot of the asylum seekers.
0:55:36
We noticed that the people who were coming in were really at a beginner level that wasn't really at where we did our series based programming.
0:55:45
And so through the use of mango languages and now through the use of the WeSpeak program, the beginners program, we have expanded that, and that has been a great partnership in order to do that.
0:55:56
I would also like to say that, obviously, funding is needed.
0:56:00
Translation of the materials that we provide, whether it's our political materials, whether it's our materials just in in everything that we do in terms of offering our services, requires quite a bit of funding.
0:56:14
So helping with that is a big need.
0:56:17
We also have invested in what we call ILA devices.
0:56:21
These are new devices that will allow people who are able to come into our branches.
0:56:26
And to try to describe it a bit.
0:56:29
It's a tablet that is kind of 2 sided.
0:56:33
And basically, you can just touch it and you would speak in your language and in reverse, it's going to speak English to me.
0:56:39
And then In reverse, when I say whatever I say back to you, it will speak it in your language.
0:56:45
These devices have been instrumental in a lot of the outreach that we're doing in our communities because we are able to help people with a variety of different languages.
0:56:54
Once again, that comes at a cost.
0:56:56
So that's that's really important.
0:56:58
And then lastly, I would like to say, one of the things that we've also done at the New York Public Library is to really think about expanding people's knowledge, outside of just access to ESOL.
0:57:10
And we've done that through our entire adult services collaboration.
0:57:14
And what I mean by that is not only do we provide ESOL help, we now provide digital literacy help that goes in partnership with the programming that they come in for.
0:57:24
Not only do we do that, but we also now offer workforce development that also comes as programming with that.
0:57:31
And those are electives that they can choose to do.
0:57:34
This past spring, we offered a podcasting course.
0:57:39
And it was really great to see people provide podcasts in their own native languages so that they can offer that to their families and friends.
0:57:48
And so that's just some of the work that we've done.
