Library and Information Services to the Arabic‐Speaking Community: A Survey of Michigan Public Libraries

Abstract

Public Libraries tout that they serve diverse communities, even having collection development policies, programs, and service that recognize their dissimilar neighborhoods. The authors of this article, having noted the influx of Arab-speaking populations from Iraq and other Middle East countries to the United States, sought to find out the extent to which this population was receiving library service. The investigators discovered that four Michigan counties comprise a significant Arab-speaking population; in fact, that population base is surpassed only by that of the Middle East countries and Paris, France. The researchers constructed a survey, based on a successful model used with libraries serving Spanish-speaking populations and applied it to the Michigan libraries in the counties with a significant Arab-speaking population. The results reveal that the Arab-speaking neighborhoods, at least at the time of the survey, were not very well served (except in a few instances) by their public libraries. K E Y

Disruption and Disintermediation

“…Al-Qallaf and Mika surveyed public libraries in Michigan about their collections, circulation patterns, and collection development policies for Arabic speakers. 101 The authors identified the lack of age-appropriate Arabic language material as a problem for public libraries serving this population.…”