Bookmarks for Library Services for New Americans
Government Information
American FactFinder
http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en
Decennial census information, with semiannual updates and special reports,
offer Zip Code level data relating immigration and language status.
DataQuest
http://data1.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/
The California Department of Education provides annually updated demographic
data about English language learners’ home languages and grade-by-grade
presence in each district and school.
Guide for New Immigrants
http://uscis.gov/graphics/citizenship/imm_guide.htm
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly Immigration and
Naturalization Service) publishes this online handbook of directions,
suggestions, and explanations of American law, procedure, and tradition.
We the American…Foreign Born
http://www.census.gov/apsd/wepeople/we-7.pdf
In a series published by the U. S. Census Bureau, this monograph from 1993 provides a quick and data-studded overview of immigration patterns and issues before the 21st century.
Immigration and a Changing America
The Population Reference Bureau reproduces a useful summary of the 2004 report sponsored by it and the Russell Sage Foundation. The report clearly describes labor issues and specific immigrant groups.
Unauthorized Immigration to the United States
The independent Migration Policy Institute studies human migration patterns worldwide. This 2003 study captures details about current U. S. immigrant status.
Biblioteca del Condado de Multnomah
http://www.multcolib.org/libros/index.html
Multnomah County (Oregon) Public Library provides its Spanish-speaking community with aWeb site offering library material and program information of specific concern and interest.
Biblioteca público Tucson Pima
http://www.lib.ci.tucson.az.us/espanol/
Tucson-Pima (Arizona) Public Library also offers a Spanish-language interface on its Web site.
Lincoln City Libraries
This site, from the Nebraska community that most closely mirrors the nation’s immigrant demographics, may also best reflect the typical library’s attention to reaching new Americans in their local communities.
Queens Borough Public Library
http://www.qbpl.org/
The largest and most ethnically diverse public library district in the U. S.
reaches speakers of several languages and from many home countries through its
multilingual, multicultural Web site.
Web Junction’s Services to Libraries: Services to Immigrants
http://webjunction.org/do/Navigation?category=1533
About a dozen school and public library programs that reach out to new Americans are featured.
Easy Voter Guide (California edition)
http://www.easyvoter.org/california/index.html
Available online as well as in hard copy, and in multiple languages, this resource offers information about and inspiration for civic involvement that is accessible to new Americans. It also can be used to jumpstart library programs serving new Americans and adult learners.
Global Writer
http://www.lingua-uk.com/other2.htm
This British software package can be purchased for use with many Windows applications. UniType permits authoring paper and online documents in languages that use a wide range of fonts, including Arabic, Armenian, Russian, and Vietnamese.
Language Line
This telephone based subscription translation service is used by many libraries and other public service agencies to meet the informational needs of customers who speak a different language from agency staff.
Marjorie Chan’s ChinaLinks
Ohio State University hosts this informative directory of software and program information necessary for connecting Chinese language readers with online resources, including Chinese-language Web pages.