OCCUPATION: BILINGUAL LIBRARIAN

Name: Ninfa Duran

Company: Santa Ana Public Library

Thumbs up: “It is deeply gratifying to help people, especially children, to learn more about their culture. When you teach a someone how to use the library, you establish a lifelong skill. Knowledge empowers people to make better decisions and improve their lives. Bilingual librarians make the library more accessible to those whose native language is not English.”

Thumbs down: “It is frustrating sometimes when you can’t help more. There are always books and supplies we’d like to have but cannot afford to purchase.”

Next step: “I am working to interest more Latinos in becoming librarians. I talk to the students and let them know how badly they are needed and that there are scholarships available for their education.”

Advice: “Librarians must embrace public service. Each human has a right to know and our job is to meet their needs. To do this, you need to spend time getting to know the community and what kind of skills are already there and what needs to be developed. It involves much more than just checking out books to people.”

Salary range: $30,000 to $40,000, depending on experience.

Hours: Most librarians work a 40-hour week, which may also include some evenings and weekends. Occasionally a special event may require additional hours.

Educational and training requirements: A master’s degree in library science is required.

Expected demand: Bilingual librarians are in demand, especially where there are substantial Latino, Vietnamese and other non-English speaking communities.

Job description: Bilingual librarians check out books, help with reference questions and have the additional ability to converse with patrons in their native language if necessary. They also participate in the development of special bilingual collections and outreach programs.

Major employers: City and county libraries, universities and research centers.

For more information: Contact the San Jose State University School of Library and Information Science extension program at (714) 773-20964. REFORMA, a professional organization for Latino librarians, offers scholarships to Spanish-speaking library science students. Contact Ron Rodriguez at the Chicano Resource Center at (714) 773-2537.

Researched by JANICE L. JONES / Los Angeles Times