The Poudre River Public Library District targets a population of 177,000 people of whom about 9.7% speak a language other than English at home. In the City of Fort Collins of those speaking another language at home, 58.5% (7,238 people over age 5) speak Spanish. It is known that a typical immigrant family will lose their native language by the second generation born in the US. In spite of proficiency in a second language representing an economic, cultural, emotional, and social advantage, we have generations of Latinos losing the Spanish language. These statistics plus the low reading skills presented by some groups, could not be ignored by the Poudre Libraries given that we are dedicated to matching diverse communities needs, interests and priorities with exceptional opportunities for learning, intellectual stimulation and personal enjoyment. This, combined with the fact that our libraries are surrounded by important pockets of Latino neighborhoods, prompted us to join efforts with Colorado State University and other agencies to promote literacy and preserve the Spanish language.

“Rincón de Cuentos” is a community project that promotes the love for books and children’s literature in the local Latino community through Spanish storytimes that celebrate and preserve the Latino cultural heritage and language. The program started in 2008 as an opportunity for Colorado State University Spanish students to complete their service learning component and practice the language. Soon, they found out that they needed a strong ally that would champion the literacy efforts. Through its two full-time Bilingual Outreach staff, the Library District was already known for its commitment to early literacy and diversity. That’s how Poudre River Public Library District was invited to partner in this program that soon grew to involve other agencies like the CORE Center, the Food Bank’s Kid’s Café, the Health District’s Vida Sana program, Harmony Road Mobile Home Park, and an army of about 22 trained volunteers. In addition to training volunteers as storytellers, the Library District has assigned a specific book collection and two additional hourly staff to the project. Currently, “Rincón de Cuentos” holds two off-site weekly Spanish storytimes, two annual volunteer training workshops, a comprehensive summer program, and various special performances throughout the year.

The current average attendance is 22 people in each storytime and to date - in 2010 - we have had 32 events; last year we had 43 events with an average attendance of 12 people. “Rincón de Cuentos” has become a growing effort that is sending out the message of the value of early literacy and the Spanish language. We have been invited to share our learning experience with other universities and groups like: the International Reading Congress in Cuba, the Colorado Association for the Education of Young Children, the Annual Latino Children’s Literature Conference in the University of Alabama, and Eastern Wyoming College. In addition to securing adequate community sites to promote this creative encounter with books, we have been able to build a specific book collection and have attracted the involvement of other community agencies that believe that the project brings overall well-being to the Hispanic community. But most importantly, we have brought together many Latino families, and have promoted the involvement of 22 local community members who now actively participate as storytellers, puppeteers, readers, and activity coordinators for “Rincón de Cuentos.”