PolyTalk: Library Interpreters Network

Lincoln Trail Libraries SystemJoe Sciacca, Project Director Michelle Ralston, Project Coordinator

PolyTalk -- What is It?

A service to help Illinois libraries reach out to people with limited English language skills. (Funded by an LSTA Grant)

Current Components Online database of volunteer interpreters available to

be contacted by telephone for real time interpretation 100 volunteers speaking 40 languages Over 350 registered users representing 165 libraries

Language kit Basic library services and questions 30 languages represented

Information Tools Poster for identification in the library Informational brochures Signs to put at entrance to indicate library is a

member of PolyTalk

Web Site Home Pagehttp://www.polytalk.info

Web Site Login Page

Languages in Kit

Spanish Arabic Vietnamese

Thai Chinese Polish Korean Urdu Ukranian Russian

Turkish French German Greek Gujarati Tagalog Hindi Lithuanian Italian Japanese

Croatian Czech Farsi Punjabi Malay Portuguese

Romanian Serbian Hungarian Tamil

Language Identification Cards

*Note: This folder is normally in the patron’s language.

Welcome Card

Each language has its own number and set of cards.

Set of Language Cards

Each language cardoffers the information in

both English and the customer’s language

What Would You Like to Do Today?

This card lists therange of topicscovered in the kit.

Each choice leads to

a card with additional details.

Detailed Info Card (1 of 6)

Interpreter Card

Marketing Buzz

2007 SirsiDynix Building Better CommunitiesAward

2007 ILA Diversity Fair - 2nd Place

2006 ALA Diversity Fair - 3rd Place

2006 Champaign - Urbana International Humanitarian

Award

Polytalk -- What’s Next?

Multilingual Audio File Collection General information about libraries Welcoming messages Download or play for patron

Expand Volunteer Recruitment and Library Participation More language coverage More Libraries Registered -- move to 500 libraries

Model for Sustainability Position PolyTalk as a core cooperative

service Self-sustaining for long term Work with partners beyond Illinois

PolyTalk Contact Information

Email (....@lincolntrail.info) Jan Ison, Executive Director (jison)

Joe Sciacca, PolyTalk Project Dir. (jsciac)

Michelle Ralston, PolyTalk Coordinator (mralst)

Voice: 217-352-0047 Fax: 217-352-7153 Web Site:

http://www.polytalk.info http://www.lincolntrail.info