Search and You Shall Find

Bilingual libraries by themselves are not as common as one would hope. A wonderful example would be the Biblioteca Latinoamericana Branch Library in San Jose, CA which will be celebrating 15 years serving the Latino community this November 15, 2014.

Bilingual bookstores, not simply small corners within a Barnes and Nobles, are also rare. Through research two successful, thriving bilingual bookshare/bookstores with similar demographics as Stockton, CA are Libros Schmibros, in Los Angeles, CA in the heart of the Boyle Heights neighborhood and La Casa Azul Bookstore in East Harlem, NY.

Ethnic museums fortunately are more common. Several long standing museums include The Mexican Museum in San Francisco, CA, The African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) in Oakland, CA and the California Historical Museum in San Francisco, CA. Such museums, those that are focused on a specific culture, are rare however in the San Joaquin Central Valley areas.

Stockton deserves to have similar resources available to families and scholars eager to learn of the Latino heritage. 

If you believe this as well, please continue to support our project, share the news and let Stockton City Officials know!

Knock, Knock

When you keep knocking eventually a door will open.

Library and Literacy Foundation of San Joaquin County established in 1990, supports "programs that foster literacy and support the power of reading." First supporting the Stockton-San Joaquin Public Library Adult Literacy program, they have since expanded to include various family and community activities such as their annual Trivia Bee and participation with Family Day in the Park.

Masood Cajee, one of the Foundation's Directors, followed up with Richard Soto and I recently to discuss our intentions for the bilingual library and museum. Masood and Photographer/Author Robert Dawson toured Biblioteca San Joaquin Mueritta; they walked through the halls and basement filled with books, magazines, albums, dvds and art work.

Masood gave several examples of public library systems with successful specialized libraries such as The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture a research unit of the New York City Public Library.

Could a Latino bilingual library and museum in Stockton follow a similar framework and be a part of the Stockton-San Joaquin County Public Library resource? Yes!

We have agreed to partner our project with the Foundation's plan to improve our Stockton-San Joaquin Public Library resources. We couldn't be more excited!  This is a positive step toward making our bilingual library and museum a reality!