Purpose: Public libraries can serve as key spaces for newcomers and play a crucial role in facilitating access to knowledge, reducing social inequalities and improving their quality of life. The mission of libraries is to democratise access to information, knowledge, culture and leisure.
Structure: Because of the services they provide, libraries are ideal places to promote social inclusion and enhance the ability of newcomers and the host society to “live together”.
Process: Public libraries play a central role in language learning. In Sherbrooke, they offer their users reading kits that enable them to learn French from different languages. These kits contain bilingual novels with French on one side and another language on the other. The kits also contain four documents, three of which are accompanied by a compact disc and a laminated list. These documents are easy to read and include sections in the user's native language as well as French as a second language to help them learn French and integrate into Quebec. The libraries also offer books for children and adults in several languages (English, Spanish, German, Russian, Vietnamese, etc.), as well as bilingual novels. These collections allow readers of foreign origin to maintain ties with their culture while promoting it to others. Libraries also occasionally hold storytelling sessions for young children in different languages.
Impact: The Quebec government, through the Ministry of Immigration, has recently launched the Racines Plurielles project. This initiative aims to provide personalised support to immigrants while encouraging their participation in activities designed to help them acquire new cultural references and foster harmonious intercultural relations.
Five Quebec libraries, including the library of Sherbrooke, have been selected to implement this project in their communities.
The City of Sherbrooke is also developing a project based on the creation of a song with an artist with long-standing roots and a Quebec artist in collaboration with a primary school class on the theme "My country is...".
This project is expected to have a significant impact on both the population with roots in Sherbrooke and those who have lived there for a long time.
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