Teachers who work with English as a Second Language learners will find ESL/ESOL/ELL/EFL reading/writing skill-building children's books, stories, activities, ideas, strategies to help PreK-3, 4-8, and 9-12 students learn to read.

A bilingual site for families and educators of English language learners

Home > Resources for Librarians: Serving ELLs & Their Families

Resources for Librarians: Serving ELLs & Their Families

By: Colorín Colorado (2010)

The library is an important resource for English language learners and their families. While serving a diverse, bilingual population presents a number of challenges, the library can be a lifeline for students and families who are new to this country or who speak multiple languages.

Learn more about serving ELLs and their families in school and public libraries from the following resources!

ELLs at the Library

Resources for Educators and School Librarians

Welcome Librarians!

We'd love to hear from you! Feel free to join our Facebook group to share ideas and questions!

These resources offer ideas for helping ELLs make the most of the library at their school or in their community.

Summer Reading: English Language Learners at the Library
10 Ways to Support ELLs in the School Library
Video Clip: Creating a Wecolming Library
School Libraries Count! Supplemental Report on ELLs (Association of Library Services for Children, 2009)
Reading Rockets: Toolkit for Librarians
AdLit.org: Libraries for Older Students

Bilingual Library Resources For Parents

Help parents get to know what their library has to offer with these bilingual tips!

Tip Sheet: The Resources at Your Library (Also available in Spanish)
Visit Your Local Library! (Also available in Spanish)
Reading Rockets: Bilingual Family Reading Guide (Spanish, Hmong, and Somali)

Recommended Books and Publishers

Booklists

It's important for children and teens to have access to books that reflect their experiences. It's also important for them to have access to books that reflect their classmates' experiences. For students with emerging literacy skills, books with familiar pictures and illustrations also can serve as an important bridge to early reading development.

If you'd like to expand your bilingual/multicultural selection for children and young adults, take a look at these booklists and publishers for a wide range of titles!

Colorín Colorado's Recommended Bilingual Booklists
Reading Rockets: Booklists by Theme (Grades PreK-3)
AdLit.org: Books for Adolescents (Grades 4-12)
AdLit.org: Reading, Writing, and History

Multicultural Children's Book Awards

Multicultural Children's Publishers

The publishers listed in our recommended web resources section offer books in a number of languages and about a wide variety of cultural backgrounds and experiences.

El día de los niños/El día de los libros

El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Day of the Child/Day of the Book) is a celebration based on childhood and literacy. Borrowing from the traditional Mexican holiday "El día de los niños," the American version expanded to include literacy when acclaimed author Pat Mora took up the cause in 1997. Nearly fifteen years later, libraries around the country are celebrating the holiday by holding bilingual reading events each year in the spring.

Colorín Colorado's "Día" Resources (With video featuring Pat Mora & Lulu Delacre)
ALSC: Official Día Website

Recommended Resources for Public Librarians

A strong relationship between the public library and the immigrant community can be tremendously rewarding for families and the library alike, especially when libraries offer ESL and bilingual programs. Nevertheless, providing targeted services for immigrant families can put libraries in the middle of intense political debates around immigration. Take a look at these resources for tips and ideas on serving your immigrant community effectively.