News Release

Chinese- and Russian-speaking library patrons now have more books, CDs, DVDs and other materials to peruse, thanks to a state grant used to bolster collections in these two languages.

San Francisco Public Library received a $100,000 California State Library Global Languages Materials Grant in 2005 to purchase new materials in Chinese and Russian. The Library recently completed its acquisition and processing of the materials, which include:

• A two-year subscription to the East View Central Newspapers database
• A two-year subscription to the Qikan database
• 466 Russian-language children’s books, CDs and DVDs
• 214 Russian-language adult books
• 436 Chinese-language children’s books, CDs/Books on Tape, and VCDs
• 1,095 Chinese-language teen books, CDs, and DVDs
• 1,449 Chinese-language adult ESL books/media and DVDs/VCDs.

The East View Central Newspapers database delivers full text access to more than 60 Russian newspapers, covering business, economics, domestic and foreign policy and important political events in Russia and the former Soviet Union. The database can be searched in Russian, English or German. Qikan is a Chinese e-magazine resource which provides library patrons with 200 current, popular magazines published in mainland China. It contains magazines in either traditional or simplified characters for adults, teens and children. Both databases became available to Library patrons in August and can be accessed free of charge from the Main Library, any branch library or through the Library’s web site at www.sfpl.org.

The 214 Russian-language adult books were distributed to the Richmond, Anza, Western Addition, Presidio and Parkside branches. The Russian-language children’s materials were distributed to the Main Library, Branch Bookmobile, and the Richmond, Anza, Western Addition, Parkside, Merced and Ortega branches.

To meet the needs of new Chinese immigrants, the Library acquired 101 ESL book titles from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, as well as CDs, VCDs and DVDs teaching basic English language skills. The Library augmented its Chinese-language audiovisual collection with 941 DVDs and VCDs, including popular movies, classics and variety shows. These materials are circulated through the Main Library International Center, 19 branch libraries, Library on Wheels and the Branch Bookmobiles. Additionally, the Library purchased Chinese language teen materials, including 185 volumes of fiction, 852 graphic novels and 58 CDs/DVDs.

The Library applied for the California State Library Global Languages Materials Grant in 2004 in order to meet the needs of the growing Chinese- and Russian-speaking population. The 2000 Census shows that 19.6 percent of San Franciscans are Chinese, while 3.5 percent are of Russian or Ukrainian ancestry.