Hobsons Bay 360 #51: Multicultural books, magazines and resources
Hobsons Bay Libraries has a large collection of various items – but did you know about our Community Language Collection? Libraries provide collections in eight languages for people who may be from a culturally or linguistically diverse background, celebrating and supporting Hobsons Bay's diversity.
The top 3 popular community languages are Italian, Chinese and Greek, with many patrons visiting our branches to read books and newspapers in their chosen language. In 2023, Libraries received a Maltese language collection donation from the Maltese Consul General, adding more than 60 Maltese books to the Maltese language collection.
Libraries offer books, newspapers, DVDs and magazines across our five library branches (which different languages available at different locations). Library members can also access a number of language resources, like Mango Languages which is an online language learning system or Kanopy which lets you stream movies in international languages. There are also bilingual children's books in Arabic, Chinese, Vietnamese, Greek, Italian, Polish, Spanish, Croatian, Maori, Hindi, Punjabiand Sinhalese.
“These books are a wonderful gift to the Maltese community in Hobsons Bay. We always encourage everyone who has come here from other parts of the world to remember and celebrate their heritage, culture and language.”– Cr Tony Briffa (Cherry Lake Ward).
To find more information about Libraries community language collection and resources, click here or to read about the Maltese language collection donation, click here.
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