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 The World Languages subject guide highlights books, magazines, newspapers, databases, audio books and videos in languages other than English. Links to selected Internet sites and information about local groups and agencies are also listed.
Contact Information: If you have questions, please ask us at the library's Adult Reference desk or contact us.
Books and Recordings
The World Languages Collection at Tompkins County Public Library consists of books in more than 20 of the world's languages, including (but not limited to): Chinese, Dutch, French, Japanese, German, Italian, Korean, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Ukrainian and Vietnamese. The collection is growing. Soon, there will be Thai books on the shelves!
The World Languages collection contains works of fiction - both popular bestsellers and core literature classics; however, a there are several biographies and other nonfiction works. Many books in the collection were originally published in an author's native language. Some books are translations from works in English and other languages.
Language selection reflects patron needs and interests and may be constrained by availability. Disparity in the amount of materials for each language is influenced by the low volume of publishing in some languages or difficulty in obtaining what is published.
We welcome your suggestions for authors and titles of works that you would like added to the World Languages collection. Please submit a purchase request or contact us.
Lists of new books in Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Russian and Spanish are available at: Lists of new books in the World Languages collection at TCPL (scroll to the bottom of page.)
Searching the Catalog
 The library's Polaris online catalog lets you find books, recordings and other materials in a language of your choice. For the newest materials, perform a "keyword" search and use the "Sort by" menu to display the results by publication date.
Suggested subject headings (includes films):
- ( Any) language materials -- fiction (For example: Russian language materials-- fiction)
- ( Any) language--Self-instruction (For example: Spanish language--Self-instruction)
- ( Any) language--Study and teaching (For example: Chinese language--Study and teaching)
- ( Any ) language—Dictionaries (For example: French language—dictionaries)
- Foreign films--( Any country) (For example: Foreign films-- Japan )
- Motion pictures-- ( Any nationality) (For example: Motion pictures-- Korean )
You can also use the Advanced search mode to find materials in specific languages.
The library's reference staff is happy to show you how to search the catalog and find materials. Come to the Reference Desk or contact us.
Magazines, Newspapers & Databases
For a list of all electronic resources, go to: http://www.tcpl.org/navigateway.
The library has magazines and newspapers online and in print: You can primarily research topics and read current articles in Spanish. Electronic translations of newspaper articles are also available in other languages.
New York State Newspapers (Thomson Gale): Articles from New York Times and other NY publications in 9 languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese (simplified), Japanese, Korean, Italian and Portuguese. (Use the "Tools" menu to select machine-generated translations.)
Magazines in Print - located in the periodical area
Local Groups and Agencies
- English as a Second Language (ESL) Subject Guide – TCPL's guide to books and information for persons who want to learn English.
- International Students and Scholars Organization (ISSO) (Cornell): Information for international students, friends and families.
- Ithaca Asian American Association
- Latino Civic Association of Tompkins County
- Multicultural Resource Center in Tompkins County (MRC) – MRC works to celebrate diversity and provide information and support on diversity issues.
- Student Activities Office (Cornell) – Search the SAO database for specific organizations at Cornell, such as the Chinese Students Association. Click on the alphabet to browse the lists by letter.
- Translator Interpreter Program (Cornell) – A unique volunteer program that strives to bridge language gaps, break down language barriers and foster mutual understanding.
- WWW Resources for Foreign Language Teachers – Not just for teachers! SUNY Cortland has compiled websites that can help you learn up to 10 languages (Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish)
Internet Resources
- AltaVista's Babel Fish – Do you need help translating a piece of text? Babel Fish is a free translation tool available on the web.
- BBC Languages - Online courses allow you to study French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese and Greek. Find useful phrases for going abroad, audio and video clips for holidays and learning slang.
- Foreign Word.com – A multilingual dictionary and translation tool.
- Health Information in Multiple Languages from MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.
- MedlinePlus in Español – Informacíon de salud para usted de La Biblioteca Nacional de Medicine de EE.UU. (The U.S. National Library of Medicine's consumer health website in Spanish.)
- NOAH - Acceso Computerizado la Salud de Nueva Cork (New York Online Access to Health. )
- French Learning and Teaching Resources - Index of many resources that are free on the Web.
- FSI Language Courses - Language courses developed by the Foreign Language Institute of the United States government utilize free, downloadable student texts, instructors' manuals and audio files. There are at least 14 languages represented, from Arabic to Yoruba.
- Internet Public Library > Language and Linguistics - An index of websites organized by language.
- Language Learning Library - Gain vocabulary and grammar tools in Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, German, Chinese, Japanese and Russian.
- Learner.org – Access free video courses to learn English, Spanish, French and German. You will have to register and sign in to view the videos, but there are no fees. Videos are produced by WGBH Boston and funded by the Annenberg Foundation.
- Library of Congress Global Gateway -There is so much to explore on this website! Especially, look at Portals of the World and the South Asian Literary Project.
- Mango Languages - Free, online language learning uses conversations to teach. Available in this version for learning: Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Greek, Russian, Mandarin Chinese, Angielski dla polskich rozmówców
(English for Polish Speakers), Inglés para hispanoparlantes
(English for Spanish Speakers), and Inglês para falantes do português brasileiro
(English for Brazilian Portuguese Speakers).
- Oxford Language Dictionaries Online - The website provides limited free access. This link for "Tools and Resources" allows you to learn and practice Chinese, French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish utilizing "Word of the Day," "Writing and Word Games," information on "Life and Culture," plus help grammar help for teachers and students.
- Project Gutenberg - Books are available in the public domain in many languages. You can read online or download for free!
- Pumarosa –For anyone learning English or English speakers who want to practice Spanish
- Tompkins Learning Partners (TLP), Inc. Links – TLP's index of favorite websites recommended by staff, students and tutors
- Voice of America "Special English" – Read and listen to selected reports in American English read at slower speed.
- Words without Borders: the International Magazine for International Literature "opens doors to international exchange through translation of the world’s best writing." Partner of PEN American Center and the Center for Literary Translation at Columbia University and hosted by Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, they "serve as an advocacy organization for literature in translation." Book reviews are at http://www.wordswithoutborders.org/?lab=Bookshelf.
- World Literature Pathfinder – An overview of how to research world literature.
Contact Information
- Adult Reference Services (607) 257-4556
- Youth Reference Services: (607) 272-4557 x276
- You can submit your question via the web to: Ask-A-Librarian
This project was made possible by a grant from the Triad Foundation.
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