The following article summarizes a new study showing, yet again, the power of having access to books in the home. We can extrapolate from this study that any access to books, including library books, can have an impact as well. If your library is not offering culturally and language appropriate services to your Latino community and getting them into the library and checking out books, then you may be denying them the benefit that others are gaining. 

The difference between having no books in the home and having 500 books in the home has an enormous impact on schooling: Evans, Kelley, Sikora and Treiman (2010) did a study of about 70,000 15 year olds in 27 countries, interviewed. Their major result: Controlling for parental education, fathers' occupation, and social class, young people in homes with 500 books stay in school three years longer than children in bookless homes. 

Noteflight is a free online music composition and sharing tool. Now, why, you might ask, is this relevant to library services to Latino children? 

Well, ask yourself this: Have you ever come across a song in Spanish that you wanted to use for a story time, but because you didn't grow up with it and don't know the tune, you can't use it? Do you find yourself using translations of English songs that you already know instead of authentic Latin American or Spanish songs? Are you one of the many people who can't play piano and can't sing from sheet music? Can't find anyone who knows the song to teach it to you?