Multicultural

Alongside the other multicultural services that Council offers, Willoughby Library has the biggest Community Languages collection in the Northern suburbs, with twelve different languages to cater to the needs of our community and to encourage the retention of cultural heritage.

The Collection

Willoughby Library holds items in the following Community Languages: Armenian, Chinese, Croatian, French, German, Italian,  Japanese, Korean, Persian, Polish, Spanish and Vietnamese.

There are books, magazines, newspapers and audio-visual materials. If you are looking for a language that we don’t maintain here, then bulk loans from the State Library of New South Wales can be arranged. You can access newspapers from around the world and visit websites in your language through the Internet.

Lion Dance

iBIMS (The Chinese Bilingual Library Catalogue)

All Chinese language publications can be found using the iBIMS catalogue. Using iBIMS you can search in English, in pinyin, and by writing the Chinese original script. The catalogue displays the location of the item and whether it is on loan or not. You can access iBIMS on all the OPACs in the Library as well as on the web. To access iBIMS click here. A description of other library services is available in Chinese, Japanese, Korean.

Improve your English

If you would like to improve your English, there are graded readers and English as a Second Language (ESL) kits with CDs, CDROMs, MP3 and MP4. There are also four ESL computers at the library that have English-learning programs for all levels of learning. A brochure on  Learning English in Willoughby - 949 KB is available.

There are also English Conversation Groups on Monday and Friday mornings during school term at the Chatswood library. These classes are very popular, so you need to contact the library staff to enrol in person, by phoning 9777 7900, or by emailing library@willoughby.nsw.gov.au.

Learn a New Language

If you would like to learn a language other than English, there are language kits in sixty-one different languages. These contain CDs, MP3, MP4 and CDROMs, and are best supplemented by the Community Language collection.

Multicultural Celebrations

In order to support multiculturalism in our community, Willoughby City Library celebrates Carnivale and Chinese New Year with a range of exciting and educational activities for Children and Adults. 

pdf format Carnivale  
 Chinese New Year (in English) 
 Chinese New Year (in Chinese) 

 

To find out more about multicultural services at Willoughby Library and how staff can meet your needs, call 9777 7900 or email library@willoughby.nsw.gov.au. You can have a tour as an individual or as part of a group.