The need to diversify the library

Hidden in the darkest corners of the library you can find the Spanish and French section. 400 books in Spanish and 92 books in French. For some people it might not be much, but for the students whose native language isn’t English, it’s a chance for them to preserve their roots.

Sophomore Achly Ramos believes we should have more books in Spanish “because it helps me and others practice and strengthen our Spanish. Also it is more comfortable to read in our first language.”

For a lot of Dual language students, reading in Spanish helps them strengthen their bonds with their native language. This is something that librarian Mr. Murrey can understand.

“I’m proud of the growth of our Spanish collection. It’s not as big as it should/could be but it was really small when I started, and now it’s up to about 400 books. The French collection is smaller, but I’m hopeful that it too can grow bigger every year,” he said.

Although the school’s library has a large amount of books in Spanish, we are overlooking another group of students. Guatemalan students. Even though Guatemala’s official language is Spanish, there are over 20 Mayan dialects. The Mayan dialect that most Guatemalan students speak here at UHS is Q’anjob’al and books in this language would be a great addition to the collection.

“I think we should have other books with the language of other students. There should be a list of people who were born out of the USA and speak other languages than Spanish or English and we can get a couple of books in that language for them and the people who come after them,” said Ramos.

Preserving and growing in two languages is not as easy as it seems. Anyone can learn a new language, but it takes time and dedication to continue growing and learning the language.

This is something that reading can help. Having books in students’ first languages welcomes them into the school environment and makes them feel safe, especially when they may fear being discriminated against for speaking their first language.