Multnomah County Library operates on a set of pillars and priorities based on input from the community it serves. This library system is accountable to its taxpayers and patrons, offering programs, services and resources that reflect this community’s values.

The public library is based on the ideal that our collective resources and knowledge should be freely accessible and open to everyone. This library strives to live up to that ideal by lifting up people and communities that have been historically excluded, marginalized and discriminated against.

In representing the diversity of our community, this library will offer materials and viewpoints some people may find offensive. When outside voices seek to shame or pressure Multnomah County Library into conforming to standards other than those in our own community, we will not be cowed.

Multnomah County Library will continue to offer materials, services and programs that acknowledge and celebrate the value of the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants and refugees, people who speak a language other than English, Black and African American people, Native and indigenous people, and all others who have been systematically oppressed. We will evolve and expand that work over time as our community’s values dictate.

La siguiente información es un recurso para inmigrantes y refugiados sobre sus derechos como individuos y la aplicación de leyes migratorias. Esta lista es solamente un comienzo; si necesitas más información, por favor contacta a la biblioteca.   

La biblioteca cuenta con listas de libros que podrían ayudarte y en los que se discute la experiencia de inmigrantes para personas de todas las edades y niveles de lectura.   

La siguiente lista será actualizada con frecuencia; por favor revisa constantemente para obtener la información más reciente.
ACTUALIZADA 11/19

Recursos disponibles para conocer tus derechos

Las personas no ciudadanas que viven en los Estados Unidos — sin importar su situación migratoria — por lo general tienen los mismos derechos constitucionales que los ciudadanos cuando las autoridades policiales las paran, cuestionan, arrestan o buscan en sus hogares. - ACLU

Folletos informativos de ACLU:
Inglés, ruso, español         

Tarjeta informativa sobre Conociendo tus Derechos:
Inglés, somalí, vietnamita, chino, español, ruso, árabe

Conoce tus derechos – Información sobre discriminación anti-islámica:
Inglés, árabe, urdu, persa, español

Aplicaciones móviles:
Mobile Justice: aplicación de ACLU que contiene la tarjeta informativa sobre Conociendo tus Derechos y tiene la capacidad para reportar incidentes a ACLU en tiempo real por medio de un video.
MiConsular MEX: aplicación creada por la Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores (SRE) del gobierno mexicano que permite a las personas de nacionalidad mexicana encontrar el consulado más cercano a ellas y que llamen o envíen un texto en caso de emergencia.   
Cell 411: aplicación que permite a los usuarios publicar y responder a emergencias provenientes de familiares, amigos y vecinos en tiempo real.  
Notifica: La aplicación que te ayuda a estar preparado contra la deportación. Usa Notifica para prepararte, informarte y actuar si estás en riesgo de ser detenido por agentes migratorios.

Aplicación de leyes migratorias:
Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de los Estados Unidos (ICE, por sus siglas en inglés): encuentra a una persona detenida o un centro de detención, además de información de contacto.

Los testigos de actividades de ICE pueden reportarlas a la línea telefónica sobre inmigración de ACLU de Oregón por medio de un texto o llamada al 971-412-ACLU (971-412-2258).

Para acciones alrededor de Portland, puedes contactar a la línea telefónica de la Coalición para los Derechos de Inmigrantes de Portland (PIRC, por sus siglas en inglés) al 1-888-622-1510.
Inglés y español

Plan para Preparación de la Familia:
Inglés y español

Recursos legales de bajo costo para inmigrantes provee una lista de organizaciones sin fines de lucro que pueden asistir a las personas con problemas migratorios.

Directorio de Servicios Culturales del Condado Multnomah provee una lista de organizaciones sin fines de lucro, grupos religiosos y programas del gobierno que sirven a los inmigrantes y refugiados en el área metropolitana de Portland.

Datos sobre la carga publica

Español, inglés

Seminario web (grabación)

Español, inglés

**Ultimas noticias del 15 de Octubre, 2019: Jueces federales han parado que entre en efecto la nueva Regla de Carga Publica a través del país. Esto significa que la nueva regla no comenzara el 15 de Octubre, 2019 y que las leyes de carga publica no han cambiado en los Estados Unidos.**

Información sobre DACA/Soñadores  

Herramientas y Guía de Recursos de DACA:
Inglés

Organizaciones locales

Lutheran Community Resources Northwest
605 SE Cesar E. Chavez Blvd.
Portland, OR 97214
503-231-4780

Sponsors Organized to Assist Refugees (SOAR)
7931 NE Halsey St. #314
Portland, OR 97213
503-284-3002

Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice
1704 NE 43rd Ave.
Portland, OR 97213
503-550-3510

Catholic Charities 
2740 SE Powell Blvd.
Portland, OR 97202
503-231-4866

Causa
700 Marion St NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-409-2473

El Programa Hispano
138 NE 3rd St #140
Gresham, OR 97030

Latino Network
410 NE 18th Ave.
Portland, OR 97232
503-283-6881

Coalition of Communities of Color
221 NW 2nd Ave #303
Portland, OR 97209
503-200-5722

APANO
2788 SE 82nd Ave #203
Portland, OR 97266
971-340-4861

IRCO
10301 NE Glisan St.
Portland, OR 97220
503-234-1541

Russian Oregon Social Services
4033 SE Woodstock Blvd.
Portland, OR 97202
503-777-3437

Northwest China Council
221 NW 2nd Ave. Suite 210-J
Portland, OR 97209
Phone: (503) 973-5451

AILA Oregon
888 SW 5th Ave #1600
Portland, OR 97204
503-802-2122

ACLU Oregon
506 SW 6th Ave #700
Portland, OR 97204
503-227-3186

Oficinas consulares

Consulado Mexicano de Portland
1305 SW 12th Ave.
Portland, OR 97201
503-227-1442

Consulado de El Salvador en Seattle
615 2nd Ave. #50
Seattle, WA 98104
206-971-7950

Consulado Honorario Guatemalteco  
7304 N Campbell Ave.
Portland OR, 97217
503-530-0046

Oficina Consular de Japón en Portland
Wells Fargo Center, Suite 2700
1300 S.W. 5th Ave.
Portland, OR 97201
503-221-1811

The following information is a resource for immigrants and refugees on individual rights and immigration enforcement. This list is a start; if you require further information please contact the library.

The library has helpful booklists that discuss the immigrant experience for all ages and reading levels.

The following list will be updated frequently; please check back for the most current information.
(List Updated 11/19)

Know Your Rights Resources

Non-citizens who are in the United States — no matter what their immigration status — generally have the same constitutional rights as citizens when law enforcement officers stop, question, arrest, or search them or their homes. ACLU

ACLU Information Pamphlets:
English, Russian, Spanish 

Know Your Rights Information Card:
English, Somali, Vietnamese, Chinese, Spanish, Russian, Arabic

Know Your Rights- Anti-Muslim Discrimination Information:
English, Arabic, Urdu, Farsi, Spanish

Mobile Apps:
Mobile Justice: ACLU app with Know Your Rights Information card, ability to report incidents to the ACLU in real time with video capability.
MiConsular MEX: App created by the Mexican Government’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs (SRE) that allows Mexican nationals to locate their nearest consulate and either text or call them in an emergency.
Cell 411: App that allows the user to issue and respond to emergencies from family, friends and neighbors in real time.
Notifica: App which allows undocumented immigrants to activate a plan if they come in contact with immigration law enforcement authorities or find themselves at risk of being detained.

Immigration Enforcement:
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE): Find a detainee or detention center, and general contact information.

Witnesses to ICE activity can report it to the ACLU of Oregon's immigration hotline via text or call 971-412-ACLU (971-412-2258).

For actions around Portland, you may contact the Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition (PIRC) hotline at
1-888-622-1510.
Information: English and Spanish

Family Preparedness Plan: 
English and Spanish

Low-cost legal resources for immigrants provides a list of nonprofit organizations that can assist people with immigration issues.

Multnomah County Cultural Services Directory provides a list of nonprofits, faith groups and government programs that serve immigrants and refugees in the Portland Metro area.

Public Charge

 Public Charge Fact Sheet
Chinese, English, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Vietnamese

Public Charge Webinar
English, Spanish

**Update as of Oct. 15, 2019** Federal judges have stopped the new Public Charge Rule from going into effect across the whole country. Check back here often for on-going updates about public charge.

DACA/Dreamers Information

DACA Toolkit 
This toolkit was created by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) to help inform DACA recipients about their rights as well as how other community members can support DACA recipients during these challenging times.

Local Organizations

Lutheran Community Resources Northwest 
605 SE Cesar E. Chavez Blvd.
Portland, OR 97214
503-231-4780

Sponsors Organized to Assist Refugees (SOAR) 
7931 NE Halsey St. #314
Portland, OR 97213
503-284-3002

Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice
1704 NE 43rd Ave.
Portland, OR 97213
503-550-3510

Catholic Charities 
2740 SE Powell Blvd.
Portland, OR 97202
503-231-4866

Causa
700 Marion St NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-409-2473

El Programa Hispano
138 NE 3rd St #140
Gresham, OR 97030

Latino Network
410 NE 18th Ave.
Portland, OR 97232
503-283-6881

Coalition of Communities of Color
221 NW 2nd Ave #303
Portland, OR 97209
503-200-5722

APANO
2788 SE 82nd Ave #203
Portland, OR 97266
971-340-4861

IRCO
10301 NE Glisan St.
Portland, OR 97220
503-234-1541

Russian Oregon Social Services
4033 SE Woodstock Blvd.
Portland, OR 97202
503-777-3437

Northwest China Council
221 NW 2nd Ave. Suite 210-J
Portland, OR 97209
Phone: (503) 973-5451

AILA Oregon
888 SW 5th Ave #1600
Portland, OR 97204
503-802-2122

ACLU Oregon
506 SW 6th Ave #700
Portland, OR 97204
503-227-3186

Consular Offices

Mexican Consulate of Portland
1305 SW 12th Ave.
Portland, OR 97201
503-227-1442

Consulate of El Salvador in Seattle
615 2nd Ave. #50
Seattle, WA 98104
206-971-7950

Guatemalan Honorary Consulate
7304 N Campbell Ave.
Portland OR, 97217
503-530-0046

Consular Office of Japan in Portland
Wells Fargo Center, Suite 2700
1300 S.W. 5th Ave.
Portland, OR 97201
503-221-1811

“It’s fun to see kids get so excited about reading.”

by Sarah Binns, MCL volunteer

The first thing that struck me about library volunteer Jordan “Jordy” Pardo was his order of a cold brew—it’s not every day I meet a thirteen-year-old who embraces coffee! But Jordy, soon to enter Franklin High School as a freshman, is one of those delightful people who embraces everything with gusto—including his longtime position as a Summer Reading volunteer at Holgate Library. 

For many young readers, Multnomah County Library’s Summer Reading program is the highlight of summer break. The program encourages all youth, from birth through high school, to read. To participate, participants track the number of days they read (or are read to) and record them on a game board to win prizes. Jordy learned about the program at age four when his older sister started volunteering. “She’d take care of me and I’d go with her [to the library]. It fascinated me. I thought, ‘When I’m old enough, I want to do that.’” In the summer before fifth grade Jordy was accepted to the program—“I’ve been doing it ever since.” 

Jordy’s favorite part of volunteering is giving participants their game boards. “It’s fun to see kids get so excited about reading and then get rewarded for reading,” he says. Book-wise, Jordy enjoys mysteries, especially Scooby Doo. “It keeps me interested, and I always want to figure out who did it in the end.” He typically ends his day with a book: “Reading is my melatonin,” he says, laughing. 

In his free time, Jordy hangs out with his sister and friends all over Portland, which he navigates by bus. With his friends, he says, “We could go look at a tree. As long as you’re with people you love and people who love you, it’s fun.” He applies the same philosophy to school, where he enjoys math and language arts. “I like solving for x or y,” he says—just like solving his mystery novels. 

When I ask if he’s excited for high school he says, “I just want to get started, graduate, and be successful!” Given his passion for learning and curious nature, it’s easy to see that Jordy will be successful at anything he puts his mind to. 

---

Home library: Holgate

Currently reading: Schooled by Gordon Korman

Most influential book: The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. 

Favorite section to browse: Teen or kids books. “It’s nice to read a shorter book sometimes, it’s a change of pace.”

Favorite book from childhood: The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister. “My mom would read me that book at night. I couldn’t go to sleep without being read to.” 

Favorite place to read: On a couch. “I’ll sit and drink coffee while reading.”

E-reader or paper: Paper. “The point is you’re taking time away from your phone and technology!”

Thanks for reading the MCL Volunteer Spotlight. Stay tuned for our next edition coming soon! Read last month's Volunteer Spotlight.

Andrew Carnegie was many things: an immigrant, an industrialist and philanthropist. Among his greatest legacies was the widespread establishment and expansion of the free public library. In 47 U.S. states, in Canada and abroad, Carnegie helped create about 3,000 libraries, many of which are still in existence today.

In Multnomah County, St. Johns and North Portland libraries, with their stately red brick exteriors — both original Carnegie libraries — are remnants of that legacy. Inside St. Johns Library, the passage of a century has a different impact. 

St. Johns Library is typical of the small libraries we find across Multnomah County. One hundred years ago, the main function of those buildings was to house books. 

Today, libraries are spaces for people, programs and hands-on learning — and yes, books. Some programs, like children’s storytime, are so popular, people are regularly turned away. Other times, the library is forced to hold programs amidst the book stacks, making them inaccessible to others. 

With more than 5,400 storytimes in our libraries and more than 110,000 young people participating in summer reading each year, our community’s children feel the space pinch every day. And some of our most popular new programs, like the makerspace (a science and technology space just for teenagers) at Rockwood Library, are only offered in one location because we don’t have enough space in other library buildings.

In our region and across the country, other libraries are greeting the future with open arms, with spaces for children to read, explore and play. Imagine if children at our libraries could have not only space for storytime, but perhaps a dress-up closet, structures to climb on, learning gardens, functioning kitchens or science and technology learning.

Imagine if more of our library buildings could offer space to sit and learn together, for workshops, or private rooms for a Skype job interview. 

We’re hard at work creating a vision for modern library spaces in Multnomah County. Join us as we explore ways to bring all people in Multnomah County modern and adequate library spaces that they need and deserve. Learn more at multcolib.org/planning/

When Bilingual Clerk Sandi Plesha first observed groups of Latina women coming to the library and quietly observing while their children read books in English, she thought of her own experience. 

“I know how isolating it can be when you’re in a new place and can’t speak the language,“ says Sandi. “I am an immigrant and have empathy for that experience. Like many of the patrons that I serve, I’ve had to jump many hurdles.”

A native Ecuadorian, Sandi worked as a teacher before moving to the United States after meeting her husband. 

“When I first moved here, I didn’t understand English. I was afraid to ask questions. When you feel like you can’t talk to others to get the information you need, it’s hard to connect. You become isolated.” 

Wanting to help the Latina women feel at home in the library, Sandi asked if they wanted to converse in Spanish; when they smiled, she began talking about what brought them to the library. Sandi asked if they wanted to come back to the library and meet as a group while their children read and play and was encouraged by their enthusiastic reaction. 

Sandi created a program at Gresham Library called La Placita (“the little plaza”). The group is held in Spanish and is aimed at helping Latina women come together, discuss their interests, learn new skills and build community. 

“Having the program in Spanish was critical not only to removing the feeling of isolation, but was also a way to help participants feel part of the community and welcome to use community resources,” she says.

Sandi, whose love of reading was cultivated by her father from an early age, creates lesson plans and selects books in Spanish to help spark discussion. She designed the program to accommodate multiple interests. 

“The women are really driving this program! When I meet with them, and we pick the books, we study. It’s not just a book club. The readings are a point to start a discussion, a window to connecting with each other.” 

The class is structured so participants can also bring their kids and a section of the room, along with another staff member, is focused on the children’s learning and play. 

“For some, La Placita is like dipping their toes into the ocean of the library and then once they get comfortable, they keep coming back, exploring and finding more,” says Sandi.

During one program, they used a Gabriel García Márquez book to discuss what it means to be a beautiful woman; during others, they’ve exchanged recipes and brought in guest teachers to learn about online privacy. After several classes, participants are feeling more at home at the library, and many are now checking out their own books.

After receiving participant requests, Gresham Library is updating the youth and adult Spanish collections, re-organizing materials and adding new signage to improve access.

“It’s the little things we do that can make a big difference. When you give to the community, the community gives back to you.”

In addition to running La Placita and helping library patrons with various information and account needs, Sandi enjoys improving the Spanish collection and utilizing her creativity to create engaging library displays. A lifelong learner, she is also teaching herself to speak Russian! 

La Placita is on a temporary break. To see other programming at Gresham Library, please visit multcolib.org/events.