As immigration rises to the forefront of public discourse, public libraries continue to be a trusted resource for new Americans seeking to gain familiarity and skills in a new land. To help libraries better serve these populations, ALA has released a white paper exploring how U.S. public libraries can provide the services new Americans need to thrive.
Lakewood has historically been a very welcoming place for new Americans. Our area recently saw an influx of new residents from Southeast Asia, so we decided to host a financial literacy class for Nepali and Burmese-speaking people.
We regularly work with a group called Asian Services in Action (ASIA Inc.), so we decided to reach out to them since they had the expertise needed for the workshops. We held the program at our Madison branch, which is located in a neighborhood where a lot of immigrants settle.Â
