Spanish is not a foreign language at OverDrive!
By: Elissa Miller, OverDrive Digital Collection Advisor
(Ed. Note: Elissa Miller is a Librarian with a background and speciality in Spanish Language content. In this post she not only highlights many of the curated lists available in OverDrive Marketplace but she also provides stats and research that shows why this content is so essential to communities around the world and the U.S. specifically. Availability of this content may vary by geographic location.)
Why The Spanish Language Isn’t ‘Foreign’ In The United States.
“Millions of Americans speak Spanish every single day.”
(Latino Voices from the Huffington Post provides an illuminating and entertaining list of nine reasons why Spanish is really is not a foreign language in the U.S.)
Spanish is spoken by many of our library and school customers throughout the country.
There were 55.3 million Hispanics in the United States in 2014, comprising 17.3% of the total U.S. population. Statistical Portrait of Hispanics in the United States
Pew Research Center analysis shows that 36.7 million Latinos speak Spanish at home, making Spanish the most spoken non-English language in the U.S. Looked at another way, three-in-four (73%) Latinos say they speak Spanish at home.
Building a quality collection for Spanish language readers can be challenging. Yet, with professional resources, web lists and improved access and distribution it is an exciting time to grow a digital collection.
For great curation tips on purchasing Spanish language content Libbhy Romero provides an excellent introduction “Selecting Spanish | Collection Development: Spanish-Language Fiction & Beyond”, Library Journal, May 1, 2016.
OverDrive currently has a collection of over 50,000 Spanish language eBooks and audiobooks with up-to-date, backlist and core selections for adults, teens and children. OverDrive’s extensive Spanish catalog is built from a strong foundation of major recognized publishers from Spain, Latin America and the U.S. The collection is growing every day with new releases and enhanced content from South America, Central America, Caribbean and U.S. Latino publishers.
Just starting to build a collection? Looking to refresh your titles for Spanish readers? Always searching for the latest, best and niche titles for your committed customers – take a dip or dive into these featured resource lists:
Keep up with the Bestsellers from Latin American and Spain – find out what “they are reading” in Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Puerto Rico and Spain.
Fans are following matches, teams and stories of “Futbol” from the Americas and Europe. Read about Messi, Neymar and Ronaldinho. Memoirs by Maradona and Pele, along with searing examinations of the business of soccer in our Spanish Adult Fútbol – Copa América list.
Adult Top Picks Original Spanish Authors
Adult Top Picks Translations from U.S. and around the world.
Spanish Adult Audiobooks – Starter collection
Adult selections from Mexican authors
Spanish Children – Fondo de Cultura Económica (Mexico) with world renknown Latin American authors
Bilingual Spanish/English – Children
Check out Recommended Lists for Spanish and explore the rich selections of original and translated works, bestsellers, popular and literary fiction and non-fiction, along with classics for all readers of all ages.