In Denver, Spanish is the most widely-spoken language after English. Many Spanish speakers in our community do not realize that they can use the library and it is free. If we were to only translate English marketing messages, we would not address this important perception. By creating relevant communication in Spanish we can connect more Spanish speakers to the resources and information they need.

We create messaging in Spanish to communicate that Spanish speakers are welcome and our services are free. One of the items created include a brochure cover with different messages and different images so staff and customers can easily pick the right language. It has slightly different information inside based on audience preference. For another campaign, we chose the radio as an effective medium for this audience and wrote a script in Spanish instead of translating it. For social media in Spanish, we highlight activities and collections important to this demographic. We created a Spanish Styleguide as robust as the English version.

With messaging that speaks directly to the needs of the audience, we anticipate that more Spanish speakers will use the library, attend activities (like our Plaza programs for immigrants and refugees) and connect with the right resources. Internally, we have been able to encourage staff to consider different audiences earlier in the programming process so that program names, activities and text are more adaptable to Spanish when needed. As a MarComm department, we adjust messaging and design as appropriate for different audiences.