Exploring Linguistic Diversity - A Case Study of Multilingual Collections at the London Public Library

Exploring Linguistic Diversity - A Case Study of Multilingual Collections at the London Public Library

Presentation at the 2025 CALA Canada Annual Conference

Liu, Yiping

Chinese American Librarians Association

2025-05-05

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

application/pdf

eng

Text; Presentation

This research examines the representation and accessibility of World Language collections at the London Public Library (LPL) through a demographic analysis of London and data mined from LPL’s online catalogue. A potential community survey may be conducted, depending on the ethics review timeline. Evidence indicates that while LPL has made progress in enhancing linguistic diversity within its multilingual collections, significant gaps persist. Challenges remain in both representation and accessibility, limiting the availability of culturally relevant materials for diverse communities. To better serve London’s multilingual population, LPL must adopt more inclusive collection policies, enhance accessibility measures, and actively engage with community members to align resources with their needs. Addressing these issues is essential to ensuring that all patrons, regardless of language background, can find meaningful and culturally affirming materials in their public library.