Multicultural Services

The library provides:

• Collections in more than 18 languages other than English
• Newspapers and magazines in community languages
• Books, easy to read novels and other material for adults wishing to improve their English - you can browse the English Learning collection online
• English Conversation Groups

• Download the Libraries ACT Multicultural Services flyer (PDF 265KB)

The library also provides access to the My Language website, which is a partnership between the State and Territory Libraries of the ACT, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, and Western Australia.

My Language is an online interactive space for public libraries, community organisations and culturally and linguistically diverse communities, to access information, language and culture.

Features include:

• Search engines, web directories and news in over 65 community languages;
• Resources for planning, implementing and promoting multicultural programs and services;
• Translations of government and community information about health, legal issues, settlement, education and libraries;
• News and ideas blog for sharing resources and new developments;
• Case studies highlighting great programs involving multicultural communities, libraries and other support organisations;
• A guide to language collections across Australia;
• An events calendar for libraries and community organisations; and
• Information about the bi-annual national My Language conference.

Share your events, ideas and programs online.

Translation and Interpreting Help

For people who do not speak English or who need help communicating with people who do not speak English, contact the Translation and Interpreting Service (TIS) National by phoning 131 450.

Multicultural Collections

Libraries ACT provides books, DVDs, magazines and other material in more than 18 languages other than English.

Languages available include:

• Arabic held at Woden
• Bengali held at Gungahlin
• Chinese held at Dickson and Tuggeranong, and the Encyclopedia Britannica - Global Reference Centre
• Croatian held at Belconnen
• Dutch/Nederlands held at Woden
• French held at Woden and the Encyclopedia Britannica - Global Reference Centre  
• German/Deutsch held at Woden
• Greek held at Belconnen and Woden
• Hindi Held at Civic and Gungahlin 
• Indonesian/Bahasa Indonesia held at Civic
• Italian held at Woden and the Encyclopedia Britannica - Global Reference Centre  
• Japanese held at Belconnen
• Korean held at Civic and the Encyclopedia Britannica - Global Reference Centre
• Maltese/Malti - newspapers
• Polish/Polski held at Woden
• Russian held at Civic
• Serbian held at Belconnen
• Sinhalese held at Gungahlin
• Spanish/Espanol held at Belconnen and Tuggeranong
• Tagalog - newspapers
• Tamil held at Gungahlin
• Turkish/Turkce held at Woden
• Vietnamese held at Belconnen and Tuggeranong

Community Language Newspapers and Magazines

• Browse a list of newspapers in community languages
• Browse a list of magazines in community languages

Multicultural Organisations in the ACT

For information about multicultural organisations in Canberra, we recommend you visit:

• ACT Office of Multicultural Affairs
• Citizens Advice Bureau (ACT)
• Canberra Multicultural Community Forum (CMCF)
• The Open Directory