Public libraries engaging their local communities
Across the nation, we’ve heard success stories from public librarians about what Mango means to their community. We’ve heard about librarians hosting Mango movie nights, workshops, and parties to meet patrons’ needs and add value to their list of online resources.
Here are five great libraries and librarians who have gone above and beyond in using Mango to reach their communities. We’re also sharing some of our own ideas for how you can take these examples and turn them into your own awesome Mango offerings.
Are you ready to make the most out of Mango? Read on for some inspiration
The main branch of the Salt Lake City Public Library system serves a large, diverse group of patrons. From the Church of Latter-day Saints missionaries preparing to move abroad or professionals from world-class hospitals, to the city’s refugee populations and local students, it’s not unusual to hear six or seven different languages being spoken at this library.
In order to reach the needs of this diverse community, librarian Lisa Curt makes sure to introduce everyone to Mango. Since Salt Lake City is a major artery for refugees, she points people to Mango’s English language courses, which help to acclimate newcomers to the city. But Lisa doesn’t stop there: Mango is only one part of her plan to meet the needs of refugees who visit. She has a full technology lab that includes both high and low-tech resources, spanning everything from sewing machines to data-mapping technology.
These offerings help every patron at the Salt Lake City Public Library access the resources they need to upskill their resumes and market themselves to find a job.
Lisa and her staff know how important it is to keep language learning part of that process, and it’s something you can do too. Today, language learning is a key skill employers look for in new hires, so help your patrons stand out from the crowd by adding Mango to any resume workshops or job fairs you may plan in the future. Whether one of your English-speaking patrons want to learn Chinese to make themselves more marketable or a Vietnamese visitor wants help with their resume, Mango can help them prepare for workforce success.
We’re big fans of movies at Mango: you only need to look at our selection of international films available through Mango Movies to see that. But even more than we like Japanese coming-of-age comedies, we love to see the films that libraries across the country make to promote our product and get their patrons involved with Mango. And it’s the Fountaindale Public Library in Bolingbrook, Illinois that’s blazed the trail for library filmmakers.
Check out this video they made while the library was closed to let their patrons know about Mango. It’s an approachable representation of how easily accessible it is to use the Mango app, while this tutorial gets patrons comfortable signing up and getting started. By posting this on social media and on their website (and sending it to us!), they were able to get the word out about Mango in an innovative and interesting way.
Just like the Fountaindale library, you can use media to develop content that shows the world of Mango to your patrons. If you already have a makerspace, you’ve probably already got what you need to make a great video. Pull down the green-screen, corral some actors from within the library’s walls and channel your inner Francis Ford Coppola in order to make a Mango commercial that’s tailored to your patrons’ needs and interests.
At Mango, we’ve often been complimented on our commitment to languages from around the world. We’re teaching people in libraries how to speak like they were on the Tibetan steppe, in the middle of the Sahara desert or swashbuckling on the high seas.
If you haven’t already taken our Pirate course, don’t take our word for it: the people at the St. Clair Public Library will vouch that it’s the best way to celebrate National Talk Like a Pirate Day. At a recent Pirate Day celebration, patrons and staff members of all ages dressed up like scallywags to promote the Mango Languages Pirate course. Patrons walked the plank, viewed a live fencing demonstration, created a parrot for a pirate craft, and had everyone laughing with pirate jokes. Kids and parents alike had a swashbuckling good time! Everyone was thrilled to learn how to speak Pirate through Mango (and to learn about our 70+ other languages offered) and every pirate went home with some booty – a Mango bookmark from our exclusive Mango Market collection.
You don’t need to wait until National Talk Like a Pirate Day comes around to host a Mango party, either. A special event featuring food and entertainment from another culture can always get a little Mango flair, and our specialty courses are another great excuse for a party. Can we suggest our Feng Shui course for an upcoming design workshop, or Legal Spanish for a job fair?
Los Angeles Public Library system’s online programs go far beyond simple summer reading lists and bookclubs. They’ve answered the call of 21st-century learning and kicked it up a notch by combining computer classes, lectures, workshops, and traditional book discussions into a holistic online learning system that lets everyone in on the fun — including Mango.
While we love a Mango party as much as anyone else, integrating our program into other offerings is a great way to get the word out at your library. Think about how you could combine Mango with other goings-on. Our Wine and Cheese course pairs well with an after-work networking event in one of the conference rooms, and our English language courses are great supplements for any ESL events you’ve got going on. What’s more, Spanish for Librarians can help you and your staff reach more patrons every day!
North Bend Public Library took “making the most out of Mango” to a new level by connecting us directly to some of their patrons to talk about how they’re using the product.
We profiled Stan Hobbs, a North Bend patron who used Mango to learn Swahili in preparation for a trip to Kenya. Stan used Mango so that he could safari like a pro, learning essential words and phrases through Mango. By the end of the trip, Stan’s language skills were so impressive that his tour guide told everyone that if Stan stayed in Kenya for six more months, he’d be knowledgeable and fluent enough to be a safari guide himself.
Not only was North Bend able to report some of the awesome things their patrons were doing, but they let us know what elements of the Mango platform were most popular at their library. With this information, we were able to celebrate the success of their patrons — and learn how to make Mango even better.
Looking to make the most of language learning in your community? We’d love to feature your future success story someday. Give your community the benefits of lifelong learning and the confidence needed to communicate in a new language. Reach out to a Mango representative today.
On a mission to inspire curious people to forge deeper connections and meaningful interactions, Mango is the only award-winning, adaptive language-learning system powered by proven methodologies and presents language-specific learning content designed to establish retention and rapidly build conversation skills. To learn more about how Mango prepares you to start the conversation, visit mangolanguages.com.
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