Imagine a world in which language and cultural barriers no longer exist – where understanding is universal and everyone is empowered. With the launch of our new translation services, we’re getting closer to that reality.
Our society will become more complex and multilingual in coming years, as our nation’s foreign-born population is expected to nearly double over the next four decades. Nearly half of these individuals will lack English proficiency. This means that a library visit could prove stressful as they attempt to communicate their needs and wants.
We recognize that until now we have been unable to adequately meet the needs of the non- or limited-English speaking members of our community, often meaning individuals who are not English proficient are unable to access the full breadth of library services. We have sought resolutions for this in the past, but they were not sustainable. We believe we have finally found a sustainable solution – LanguageLine.
LanguageLine is an on-demand service that provides translators and interpreters in 240+ languages—including American Sign Language—allowing us to serve the members of our community at their moment of need, regardless of language, culture, or ability.
Our translation and interpreter services are currently limited to library-specific interactions, which means that everyone in Natrona County, regardless of their English-speaking proficiency, will have equal access to our staff, support, and services.
Know someone who has been hesitant to come to the Library because of a language barrier? Send them our way with the confidence of knowing that they will receive the same high level of service that all of our patrons have come to expect.