Driven by a desire to meet the needs of a culturally expanding community, Brillion Public Library applied for a grant from the Brillion Area Community Endowment Fund in 2022.
The goal was to expand the Spanish book collection for children and adults as well as raise awareness of the Hispanic culture in the Brillion area through programs and cooperative efforts with the high school and Spanish-speaking community.

“The Brillion Public Library strives to provide access to information and materials for all in the Brillion area,” said Lydia Dill, Brillion Public Library’s Director. “Before receiving the Brillion Area Family of Funds grant, our Spanish section failed to meet the needs of the large Hispanic population in Brillion and the surrounding areas due to the lack of relevant and up-to-date materials. A significant portion of this population, including the 12.3% of our public-school students who are Hispanic, could benefit from the expansion of our present collection and programs.”

“In addition, a more diverse selection would benefit the students who participate in local adult English Language classes, as well as allowing
the Brillion Public Library to work with Brillion High School students to enhance their Spanish courses and provide additional resources to them. With these funds, we were able to purchase over 65 new items to add to this collection and begin breaking down some of the barriers Spanish- speaking patrons might face when visiting the library.

These new materials range from youth to adult, and cover a variety of topics, including nonfiction and fiction. We look forward to continuing to address this need in our community.”

The Brillion Area Family of Funds is one of five geographic affiliates we partner with in the Fox Valley. Our other partners include the Clintonville Area Foundation  Chilton Area Community Foundation, Shawano Area Community Foundation and Waupaca Area Community Foundation.