A study of library services provided to students in bilingual education programs by elementary school library media centers in South Texas

The Bilingual Education Act of 1968 recognized the needs of limited English-speaking children and stipulated that financial assistance would be provided to local institutions to meet, develop, and carry out new and imaginative programs to meet the educational needs of these children. Thirty years after this initial goal it is questionable whether this mandate has yet been completely implemented.; In order to gain the necessary data concerning bilingual education and elementary school libraries in South Texas, a survey was sent to librarians/media specialists in Texas Education Agency Region I and II (roughly the lower Rio Grande Valley to Corpus Christi). The survey included items concerning the demographics of the school, book collection size, budget information, library programs and activities, collaboration between teachers and librarians, Spanish language abilities of library staff, and opinions and attitudes of librarians/media specialists toward bilingual education.; The data showed that Region I (which borders Mexico) is more populous in absolute terms and also has a greater proportion of bilingual/LEP students than Region II. In both regions the amount of Spanish language materials and programs lags behind the proportion of bilingual/LEP students in the general population. Besides problems with funding, the survey revealed problems with the number and quality of Spanish titles available, as well as a lack of cooperation between teachers and librarians. Most librarians/media specialists fully supported bilingual education, but a minority expressed doubts about the value of bilingual education. This attitude was mirrored by low percentages of Spanish language materials in may libraries. Conclusions and future avenues for research are suggested, as well as appendices containing the results of the survey.