Date Approved

5-1-2006

Embargo Period

4-6-2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A. in School and Public Librarianship

Department

Special Educational Services/Instruction

College

College of Education

Advisor

Shontz, Marilyn

Subject(s)

Hispanic Americans and libraries--New Jersey; Libraries and minorities--New Jersey

Disciplines

Library and Information Science

Abstract

The Hispanic population is rapidly growing in Bridgeton, New Jersey. As the needs of the patrons change, hopefully the libraries are meeting those needs. The purpose of this study was to examine nine public libraries and public school libraries in Bridgeton, New Jersey to determine if they provided access to both Spanish-language and English books in their collections, books that reflect ethnic identities, backgrounds, history, and the culture of the Hispanic and specifically Mexican American population. The study surveyed nine libraries in Bridgeton using a combined bibliography of 78 award winning fiction Hispanic books. The researcher visited and checked each library through observation and by using the OPAC to search by author and title for each book.

The results of the study showed the libraries in Bridgeton, New Jersey needed to update and add to their collections in order to meet the needs of the Hispanic patrons. All of the nine libraries had less than 50% of the children's and young adult fiction award winning titles in their collection. Every library in Bridgeton housed more Mexican American titles from the bibliography than any other subgroup.

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