Public Library Language Learning Holdings

[MorkTheFiddle]

As suggested by another thread, https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 994#p79994, curiosity struck: How extensive is the collection of language learning materials in my public library?

Nothing from Assimil.
From the Teach Yourself series: Afrikaans, Bengali, Bulgarian, Beginner’s Greek, Hebrew, Business Mandarin, Norwegian, Persian, Swedish
From Michel Thomas: Arabic, French, German, Mandarin, Russian, Spanish, + Italian Vocabulary Builder, + Spanish Vocabulary Builder
From Pimsleur, at least these, there may be others, in various flavors: Albanian, Cantonese, Croatian, Danish, English for French Speakers, French, Hindi, Inglés, Japanese, Korean, Lituanian, Mandarin, Ojibwa, Pashto, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Twi

That's a lot of Pimsleur, no matter what you think of the method. I didn't search for ancient languages nor any specific modern language.

[mcthulhu]

My library system has relatively few technical computer books in hard copy, and encourages people to access those through Safari, which is available through the library's Web site and has tons of new computer books. This allows the library to use its limited budget and shelf space for other materials (this might be harder on people who don't like ebooks - maybe less of a problem in that domain, though).

The library also has relatively few physical holdings for foreign language instruction; it does have more for books in foreign languages, though just in the usual suspects. Anyway, it's possible that the same rationale may apply as for computer books, since the library also has a contract to make Rosetta Stone available as one of the premium resources on the library's Web site. Whatever you may think of Rosetta Stone, buying more Pimsleur etc. physical language courses could be seen as duplicating resources.

Shelf space is a real issue, too; I'm often shocked at what great stuff the library is getting rid of to make space for new books. I've always thought that a library should be able to expand like an accordion, and just keep getting bigger and bigger to hold more and more books. Maybe someday, but not yet. In the meantime, relying more on electronic resources sort of accomplishes the same thing.

[aokoye]

In terms of language learning my local library system has a ton of pimslur one copy of Assimil french with ease some routledge publications, and various other things I can't remember off the top of my head (I'm on my phone and not near a computer).

I have a feeling they got a very good deal from the publisher on the pimslur CDs that they have given the sheer number and variaty they have. They have a number of novels in Spanish as well as some in Manderin, Russian, and Vietnamese. I have a feeling the vast majority of the non english books they have are children's books.

[MorkTheFiddle]

How many foreign language novels/books/magazines do they stock though ?

That is a good question. I will ask them.

[aokoye]

I've always thought that a library should be able to expand like an accordion, and just keep getting bigger and bigger to hold more and more books. Maybe someday, but not yet. In the meantime, relying more on electronic resources sort of accomplishes the same thing.

I have two friends who are librarians and one who got her masters in library science but isn't working in the field (not shocking). That said, I'm sure the librarians at your local library also want their walls, or shelves, to expand exponentially but funding is likely a very real issue.

[sgiandubh]

Inter-Library Loan makes the library nearly unlimited.

[aokoye]

Inter-Library Loan makes the library nearly unlimited.

Not so much for CDs/cassettes or most periodicals in some instances (some libraries will do audio most don't seem to do periodicals that aren't on microfilm). There are also apparently some libraries that don't have an interlibrary loan system, which is to say they just don't participate. That is mind boggling to me, but again about limited funding and other resources...

[sgiandubh]

i am surprised! I have always been able to get periodicals including very obscure stuff although i never tried for cds . In many cases you have to do the locating yourself of the item, and just have them do the actual paperwork.

[smallwhite]

How many foreign language novels/books/magazines do they stock though ?

In what languages does your public library stock books?

[jeff_lindqvist]

Assimil: Hungarian
TY: Chinese, Spanish, Swedish
Colloquial: Arabic (Egypt), Croatian, Dutch, German, Greek, Hebrew, Japanese, Latvian, Lithuanian, Serbian, Spanish (Latin America), Swedish, Turkish
Michel Thomas: Spanish
Living Language: Chinese
Linguaphone: Icelandic
Univerb: Arabic, Chinese, Danish, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai

Add a bunch of old "radio" courses or recently published courses in all the other languages I mentioned in the other thread.

Anything related to languages (courses, dictionaries, textbooks, grammars etc.) - 2922 titles. I mentioned novels in another thread.