When you enter a library, you know you can find plenty of books in which you can read about a variety of countries and cultures from across the globe. But a library also is a place where you can meet people from different countries and experience different cultures. You can go beyond what’s on the pages of a book.
Through programs, events and more, Schlow Centre Region Library presents opportunities to “travel the world” right from the Centre Region’s community hub. One of those programs is World Stories Alive, which is presented thanks to a partnership between Schlow, the Center for Global Studies at Penn State, Global Connections and Bilingualism Matters at Penn State.
The program is for children ages 3 to 8 and features songs, stories and art from a different language each week. The 2018 program started Jan. 20 and is held at 11 a.m. on most Saturdays through April 14. Upcoming languages include Russian (Jan. 27), Turkish (Feb. 3), Korean (Feb. 10) and Chinese (Feb. 24).
“For eight weeks during the spring semester, we celebrate the wonderful diversity State College has to offer by highlighting a different language during story times,” said Paula Bannon, head of children’s services at Schlow. “We get an average of 25 kids per program. Lots of families come — some come specifically to hear a particular language spoken during story time and others come to just learn about languages and cultures that are different from their own.”
Sarah Combs, associate director for the Center for Global Studies at Penn State, said the program tries to focus on languages that aren’t commonly taught.
“The goal of the program is to get young children excited about learning languages and to expose them to cultures they may never have learned about before. We hope that the children in this program leave thinking that learning another language is fun and with a desire to learn more. We also hope that positive experiences learning about other cultures will be a first step toward these young children growing up to be empathetic, culturally aware adults.”
Schlow also is in its second year partnering with the Diversity Council within Penn State’s Office of Outreach and Online Education. Thanks to this partnership, Schlow is hosting “An Evening with Lisa Ko” at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 29.
A daughter of Chinese immigrants from the Philippines, Ko was the first in her family to be born in America. Her debut novel, “The Leavers,” was a National Book Award finalist and won the 2016 PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction.
Last year, thanks to the partnership with the Diversity Council, Schlow hosted author Firoozeh Dumas, author of the memoir “Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America.”
But it’s not just programs and events that can bring people from different countries and cultures together at the library. Opportunities and possibilities happen nearly every day.
“People enjoy going to Schlow not only for book collections but also for human connection,” says Wing Sze Wong, who has worked in Patron Services for Schlow since 2016.
Wong is originally from Hong Kong. She and her husband were living in Denmark when they moved to State College in 2015. While working at the library, she interacts with many individuals and families who have moved to State College from different countries.
One was Pei-Ying, who moved to State College from Taiwan in 2014. She used the library frequently and expressed to Wong how she wanted to have more connections in the community. Wong suggested she apply for a volunteer position at Schlow, and Pei-Ying is now part of the library’s volunteer team.
Originally from South Korea, Mina Youn moved to State College in 2009 and has worked in adult services at Schlow since 2014. She also helps people who have moved to State College from another country.
“The new community members come to the library to learn English and to find local resources,” she said. “Participating in library activities gives them a sense of belonging … because they do not have many family members to visit in the USA. We provide free but valuable information resources, critical to adjusting their lives in the new environment.”
David Pencek is communications manager at Schlow Centre Region Library.
