A new Spanish-language phone line further expands Whatcom County Library System’s outreach to the local Hispanic community. When patrons call the phone line, Spanish-speaking library staff members answer. They can assist with library-related questions and refer callers to other community resources. The Spanish-language phone line number is (360) 305-3638.
WCLS Hispanic Cultural Liaisons Diana Antaño and Amelia Martinez proposed the dedicated phone line as part of their work to connect the Spanish-speaking community with library services. The Spanish-language phone line launched in October 2024.
“It has been challenging for us to keep track of communication with Hispanic patrons when they were trying to reach us at the library, and we (Hispanic cultural liaisons) were not at the branch,” Martinez says. “We’d leave messages; they’d call us back; and someone else at the library would answer in English. Now they can be confident that calling the Spanish line number will connect them with a person who speaks their language and is available to help them.”
When Spanish-speaking staff are not available or if the library is closed, callers who leave a message will receive a return phone call within 48 hours.
“I would love for people to know that the library is more than just books,” Antaño says. “We have so many free services people still don’t know about, and this is another way for us to spread that information.” She lists access to the internet, document printing and language learning apps among the resources she hopes to introduce to the community.
“The library is also a hub of information,” Antaño continues. She and Martinez are compiling a list of local organizations that offer help in Spanish for services such as housing and legal aid. “When people don’t know where to start, sometimes the library is the best place because we can refer patrons to those organizations,” she says.
Library staff cannot offer legal or medical advice but can refer community members to organizations where they can provide such help in Mixteco, Spanish, and other languages.