As part of the City of Boise’s LEP, the Library has developed the following plan to provide meaningful access to its services for LEP populations. The plan will be updated triennially.
Library LEP Assessment and Plan
Four Factor Analysis
- The number or proportion of LEP persons served or encountered in the eligible service population. Because of the nature of the Library and the type of programs that are run through the library branches, it is estimated that the number or proportion of LEP persons encountered is higher than that in the general population of the City of Boise.
- The frequency with which LEP individuals come in contact with the program. Library employees who were surveyed have reported that in on average they encounter approximately six to seven people each month who have Limited English Proficiency. The Library currently subscribes to Language Line Solutions, a service provider that provides interpretation services in 140 different languages. Surveyed staff reported many encounters with people who appeared to have Limited English Proficiency, but very few requests for interpreters and translators. The Library employs one Spanish-speaking employee who interacts with Spanish-speaking LEP patrons and contacts. Library staff is most likely to encounter LEP individuals through contact in the library facilities and through outreach events.
- The nature and importance of the program, activity or service provided by the recipient to people’s lives. The Library’s mission is to help members of the community in their efforts to educate themselves and enhance their personal, business, and social well-being through the use of the libraries. Some library programs, such as the English Corner Conversation Hour and bilingual story times, are important to the LEP/refugee population as many of them integrate into the United States.
- The resources available to the recipient and the costs. The Library has “I Speak” cards available at service desks. The Library also has access to the Language Line and regularly uses family and friends of the LEP individual to provide informal translation services. The Libraries also have access to the Police Department’s Contract Interpreter list and can contact interpreters in more than 30 different languages if necessary to communicate with LEP individuals.
Identifying Individuals Who Need Assistance
The Library frequently surveys its staff for instances of direct or indirect contact with LEP individuals. The Library also has “I Speak” language identification cards available at service counters. The Library works closely with refugee agencies to ensure that LEP individuals are receiving the services they need in the community and through the Library.
Language Assistance Measures
The Library will educate staff about the existence of bilingual staff in the Library. The Library will continue to locate language identification cards at service desks. It also has Google Translate installed on its website and has access to Google Translate on the public computers located through the library systems. A notice in English and Spanish for language assistance has been posted in all main lobbies of each branch.
Training Staff
In addition to the training provided by the City, the Library will ensure that its staff understands its Title VI LEP responsibilities. Staff will also receive specific training on what language assistance services the City of Boise offers and specific procedures to be followed when encountering LEP persons. Staff will also receive training on how to use Language Line Solutions.
Providing Notice to LEP Persons
The Library will continue its outreach efforts with the refugee and LEP communities to help those communities better understand the resources available to it through the Library and the City generally. The Library will continue to meet with refugee leaders on a regular basis in both formal and informal settings.
Monitoring and Updating the LEP Plan
The Library will monitor and update this plan on a regular basis, but not less than triennially. At minimum, the Library will examine how many LEP persons were encountered and determine if their needs were met. The Library will also continue to review its documents to determine if any of them should be translated into other languages and to determine if more program-specific outreach should be undertaken. It will also look at any complaints received and learn how to better serve the LEP population through those complaints.
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