Bilingual Literacy Seminar Offered

The Los Angeles Public Library’s Pacoima branch will host a free bilingual literacy seminar at 6 p.m. Monday.

Called “Mother Read/Father Read,” the seminar will focus on the importance of enhancing and promoting literacy in the home, said Pacoima branch manager Angelica Hurtado-Gracia.

“It targets the whole family, but especially parents,” Hurtado-Gracia said. “And it will be in English and Spanish.”

A trained speaker from the social services agency El Nido will conduct the workshop, demonstrating how parents can use picture books to teach their children, and how reading to children can enhance their vocabulary and get them excited about books.

Staff librarians will also explain how the branch operates and talk about the many resources it offers the community at no cost.

Those who attend the seminar will also get a packet of four books to take home and read to their children.

Money for the books and speaker were donated by the Prudential Foundation.

“This will be one in a series of seminars,” Hurtado-Gracia said. “We’ll have another one in a few months. This is a great opportunity to do outreach. We have lots of immigrants in this community and many of them don’t use the library.”

The library is at 13605 Van Nuys Blvd. For information call (818) 899-5203.