For students and communities alike, digital literacy is an essential basic need that libraries are well equipped to support. To do this, Waubonsee Community College’s library partnered with two local public libraries to co-create bilingual technology programs that expand access to digital tools and skills for both students and community members. By maximizing shared resources such as staffing, space, outreach, and bilingual instructional capacity, the collaboration has reached diverse audiences, including Spanish-speaking patrons and adult learners. What began as a small initiative has grown to include six partnering libraries in less than a year, offering a replicable model for advancing digital equity and community vibrancy.

At the DREAM Annual Convening, Elmira Jangjou, Melissa Blankstein, Rebecca Goode, and Jessica Chrisman-DeNegri will explore this partnership in action, review a practical framework for building and scaling similar collaborations, and leave with strategies you can adapt to strengthen digital access and student success on your own campus.

Learn more about the session, scheduled for March 3, 11:45am – 12:15pm PT.