聖路易郡圖書館目前正在積極擴展為本地華人的服務項目。聖路易郡圖書館的執行館長指定我負責該項工作。

我叫江定廉(英文名Ling Thumin)。1989年從中國湖南衡陽來到美國求學﹐在大學
圖書館工作了13年。自從去年8月到聖路易郡圖書館工作以來﹐在館長的領導和同事們的大力支持下﹐我已經朝著這個目標做了多方面的準備。其中包括增加圖書館的中文閱讀資料﹐從圖書館的網站上提供直接方便的綜合通道﹐登陸一些主要的中文網站﹐並且籌備開設免費的雙語學習班。

我想借此機會讓我們的華人社區進一步了解聖路易郡圖書館﹐並且通報本館擴展華人服務的新動向。來聖路易郡圖書館工作後﹐我有機會到各個部門實習訓練。我深為圖書館同仁們努力的獻身精神和強烈的責任感所感動。同時我也為圖書館的巨大規模和完善設施而欣喜。聖路易郡圖書館因其規模大﹐服務項目多﹐技術裝備好﹐又有將近七百優秀的工作人員﹐自1947成立以來為聖路易郡人民的文化﹐教育和娛樂生活發揮了十分重要的作用。

1. 目前﹐聖路易郡圖書館正在加緊擴展和完善對新移民和華裔美人的服務。下列新項目將在今後數月內逐步實現。
   
2. 由龍源公司(Dragon Source Company)製作的網上期刊庫名曰Qikan﹐將于二月初開始供您使用。利用您的有效郡圖書館證﹐無論何時何地﹐您可以通過此電腦期刊庫閱讀兩百種不同領域的中文雜誌。
   
3. 免費的﹐不同程度的雙語電腦學習班和美國文化及公民人籍考試學習班將在三月開課。
   
4. 本館的網站將盡快配以特殊翻譯軟件﹐以便讀者選擇不同的語言瀏覽網站提供的信息。
   
5. 繼續增加圖書館的中文圖書和音像資料。
   
6. 組織定期中文讀書討論會。

擴展為華人服務的信息後﹐已有不少華人慷慨地向圖書館捐贈中文書籍資料。在此﹐我代表郡圖書館向大家致以真誠的感謝﹐並且熱情歡迎大家繼續捐贈。讓我們共同來讀更多﹐更好的書﹗聖路易郡圖書館有一個總館﹐十九個分館。總館的地址是1640 SLindbergh Blvd. 位于Clayton Road 和 HWY 40 以南。請您把書送到總館或者任何一個最方便您的分館﹐並請寫上您的性名和所贈書籍的數量。如有任何疑問請電話與我聯係。

此外﹐聖路易郡圖書館衷心歡迎大家通過電話和電子信箱向我們提出各種寶貴建議﹐以便我們更好地服務于華人社區。電話﹕(314) 994 - 3300﹔電郵﹕lthumin@slcl.org

聖路易郡圖書館的執行館長, 丹。威爾遜說﹕“聖路易郡是一個多元化的地區﹐我們決意努力開拓對各族裔的服務。由於Ling和其他圖書館員的辛勤勞動﹐對華裔的服務已經有了一個良好的開端。”威爾遜館長還說﹕“Ling是一個有經驗的圖書管理員﹐能教雙語課﹐又能與華人社區溝通和合作。我們慶幸她是聖路易郡圖書館的一員。”

威爾遜館長的話對我是極大的信任和鼓勵。我將竭盡全力為華人社區服務﹗

Ling Thumin article, Jan. 14, 2005:

For immediate release
January 17, 2005

Contact: Ling Thumin, (314) 994-3300
Chris Duggan, (314) 994-9411, ext. 332

St. Louis County Library enhancing services to Chinese community

St. Louis County Library is in the midst of an initiative to enhance and expand its services to the Chinese community in St. Louis. My name is Ling Thumin; I joined the Library staff in August and have been working on a variety of efforts toward that goal, including expanding the Library's collection of Chinese language reading materials, the development of bi-lingual computer and Internet classes and the addition of databases that provide access to Chinese publications.

The purpose of this article is to increase awareness of St. Louis County Library among the Chinese community in the St. Louis area and to inform them about the Library's current development, which is intended to expand services, facilities and materials for recent immigrants and established Chinese-Americans alike. I have lived in the United States since 1989 and worked in an academic library for 13 years before joining the staff at St. Louis County Library. Since arriving, I have had the opportunity to train in every department, and I have been impressed by the strong sense of dedication and commitment among members of our library staff. With its wide array of services, its state-of-the-art technology and its dedicated employees, St. Louis County Library contributes importantly to the community's intellectual, educational and recreational life.

Currently, the Library offers easy access for its patrons to a variety of websites, both in English and in the native language of various immigrant groups. In the coming months, the Library will be implementing several new services for our Chinese patrons:

• An online periodical database called Qikan, from a company called Dragon Source, will offer access to 200 popular Chinese magazines through the Library's website, starting in February. You will be able to access the database from any Internet computer, using your St. Louis County Library card.
  
• Bi-lingual computer and Internet classes, plus classes on American culture and the citizenship test, will be available to the Chinese community beginning in March.
  
• Special translation software will soon be available in the Library's Internet access computers, allowing patrons to browse the Library's website in their preferred language.
  
• The Library will continue to add Chinese language reading materials on an on-going basis.

Since I started at St. Louis County Library, I have received a number of offers of donations of Chinese language books and other reading materials. We welcome any such donations, which can be made to my attention at any of the Library's 19 branches or Headquarters, which is located at 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., just south of Clayton Road and Highway 40.

Additionally, we are always interested in suggestions of ways we can better serve the area's Chinese community. Any such suggestions can be sent to me by calling the St. Louis County Library Reference Department at (314) 994-3300 or by e-mail at lthumin@slcl.org.

"Our commitment to enhance services for all people in this increasingly diverse district is moving forward thanks to Ling and many other staff working behind the scenes," said Dan Wilson, Director of the St. Louis County Library District. "Ling is an experienced librarian, able to teach and coordinate our outreach to the Asian community. We are fortunate to have her in our organization."