Library Resources

     Just a reminder to all of our volunteers--we have lots of children's books here at Catholic Charities. Encouraging kids to read can really help them to learn English and succeed in school. If any of you work with families that have young kids then feel free to stop by and pick up some picture books for them!

     Speaking of reading, we also wanted to remind you that local libraries are great resources for refugees. It might be a good idea to take a trip to explore the local library with your refugee family to make sure that they know how to check out books, to ask for help and to use the library computers. Here are just a few of the programs that could benefit refugee families (click on the highlighted words for scheduling and more specific information):
     Multnomah County Libraries have classes, craft hours and story times nearly every day at different locations.

     For refugee adults and teens unfamiliar with computers there are "Techno Hosts" times where library staff are available to work one-on-one with any patron to teach them how to save documents, open email accounts, print pages, etc.
     For toddlers, pre-schoolers, and even the whole family there are "Story Times" to encourage a love of reading. Story times are held on weekday mornings, on the weekends, and even in the evenings. In some locations--like Rockwood, Midlands, and Gresham--these story times are directed towards families trying to learn English.
     For teens there is a program called "Teen Lounge" that provides a space for kids in grades 6th-12th to work on homework, play games and meet other teenagers. Teen lounges are typically in the middle of the week after school.
     For teens, adults, and families near the Rockwood library there are Saturday Craft Hours at 1:30pm and Sunday Movie Matinees at 3:30pm.
     There are also numerous programs for parents trying to learn English and find jobs. The Gresham library holds a "Job Seekers Support Group" on Monday afternoons. Several other libraries also have dedicated computer lab times for Job Seekers during the week. The Gresham library also offers a "Learning Lab: Guide to English Language Learning Resources" on Sunday afternoons to introduce English language learners to online ESL resources. And finally, as mentioned in the last post, the Midlands library holds "Talk Time" for English language learners looking to practice conversational English.

     Washington County's library system also offers a variety of programs. Click here to check out their story times for kids and families and click here for their teen programs.