Library BoM placements (non-English).
12/30/2008. Journal entry.
So as to avoid duplication of effort, here are some things that your Ward Mission Leader might consider doing. If you're not the Ward Mission Leader, check to see if these have been done, and if not, coordinate with your WML.
Your local public library likely has a copy of the English Book of Mormon. If they don't, please donate a hard-cover English copy.
Your local public library might have a Spanish copy of the Book of Mormon. If they don't, pleaes donate a hard-cover Spanish copy.
What other languages does your library cater to? In larger cities, public libraries often carry books in Russian, Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese, Hindi, Italian, Portuguese, German.
If your town hosts a Japanese auto plant, your local library likely already stocks some Japanese books. I know that is true in at least one Indiana town with a Japanese-owned/managed auto plant.
If your local libary likes to shelve books in non-English languages, ask your librarian if they'd accept a donation of a Book of Mormon in those languages. And if they would, you could purchase them at www.ldscatalog.com, and donate them.
Labels: ideas
posted by Bookslinger @ 4:39 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Brilliant idea, Bookslinger.
FWIW, the 2000 census reports the following language usage in homes in the U.S. (in number of people and % of U.S. population):
English 215,423,555 82.10%
Spanish 28,100,725 10.71%
French 1,606,790 0.61%
Mandarin 1,499,635 0.57%
German 1,382. 610 0.52%
Tagalog 1,224,245 0.46%
Vietnamese 1,009,625 0.38%
Italian 1,008,370 0.38%
Korean 894,065 0.34%
Russian 706,240 0.26%
Polish 667,415 0.25%
Arabic 614,580 0.23%
Portuguese 563,830 0.21%
Japanese 478,000 0.18%
French Creole 453,365 0.17%
Greek 365,440 0.13%
Hindi 317,055 0.12%
Persian 312,080 0.11%
Urdu 262,895 0.10%
Cantonese 259,745 0.9%
In my experience selling foreign language materials to libraries, every one of the above languages is possible somewhere in the U.S. The main issue is whether or not your area has enough of a concentration of speakers of that language to justify a collection.
In many places you can even determine what your library has online, through the library's website.
Outside of the Intermountain West, LDS congregations likely have more than one library in their area. I know our ward has 3 or 4 public library branches. BUT, that's not all. We also have at least one university library in our ward boundaries, and a bunch of school libraries, both public and private.
University libraries might be more interested if they teach the language, and school libraries if they have students who speak that language.
BUT, in every case, don't be too surprised if the library rejects the donation, or takes the book and tries to sell it on their booksale table. The big issue for libraries is cataloging -- putting in the library stamps, bar codes, and other markings in the books, and entering the associated information into the library's card catalog (whether on cards or online). Some libraries will not feel like they have the resources to accept your donation if it isn't seen as an important enough addition to their collection.
Kent, your comments correspond with my experience.
I haven't had luck with universities, except for two, in which the language department accepted a donated copy in each language that the department taught.
Most university language departments told me to check with their library, and the libraries told me to check with the language departments.
It is cases like these where I wish the church would publish diglot (or bilingual) editions with the foreign language and English in parallel columns, lined up by verse.
Unfortunately, the non-English language editions don't match the physical form factor (or foot print) of the English edition, so it would not be feasible to put them into a "boxed set" and shelve them together.
For instance, I would like to see a Chinese and English "boxed set" if the church can't put together a diglot Chinese/English.
If I could just get to the right people in the Curriculum or Missionary departments of the church, I could personally raise the funds needed to pay the church's expenses in typesetting a diglot edition, and the first print run of up to 2,000 copies.
This would not be an external project where copyright or IP permissions are needed. I envision the church doing this with employees (or contractors) that they currently use for new BoM languages. I would merely fund the wages/overhead of church employees (or contractors) on the project.
I think $5,000 for typesetting would be a high-end estimate. The text is already in electronic format, and all it needs is "melded" in a new diglot layout.
The number of pages would approximately double in a diglot edition. Current soft-cover editions are $2.50, so double that to $5.00 for a soft-cover diglot.
Current hard-cover BoMs are $3.00, so figure $6.00 for a hard-cover diglot.
With the church's modern presses, small print runs are economically feasible, so figure a print run of 2,000 copies at $6.00 per copy for hard-cover, or $12,000 for the first print run, not counting typesetting.
Add in the $5,000 estimated typesetting cost, and you have $17,000 for 2,000 diglot/bilingual copies.
I think I can raise $17,000 for a proof-of-concept for a Simplified Chinese/English diglot/bilingual Book of Mormon.
"Most university language departments told me to check with their library, and the libraries told me to check with the language departments."
Try asking the library for who the liason is with the language department. Sometimes you can find that information on the library website. That is the right person to talk to.
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