Your multicultural community

Our multicultural society influences our libraries and their functions. Many people from multicultural backgrounds enjoy using their local library as a place for social contact with other residents from similar backgrounds, as well as connecting with people from the broader community. NSW public libraries provide multilingual collections and signage, English language classes and programs in a range of languages.  To help with planning and developing targeted programs and services to Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) members of your community you need to first understand who is part of  your community. These resources will assist you in developing  this understanding.

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
The ABS is the main source of statistical information in Australia, providing access to census data and statistics on economic, social, population and environmental matters. The ABS also provides snapshots of Australia's multicultural society through the People and Communities section of the website.

Cultural Atlas
Cultural Atlas provides information on the cultural background of Australia's migrant population, with explanations of common cultural attitudes, behaviours, social structures, etiquettes and communication styles. It includes up-to-date statistics about Australia’s migrant populations and information on their trends of arrival and settlement. 

Profile.id
Profile.id  provides  local area profiles of  a large number of councils and regional authorities throughout Australia. These profiles are publicly available on the website. Data is based on the census and includes ethnicity, ancestry, religion, as well as age, qualifications, household and family structure.

Research into multicultural services in NSW public libraries
The State Library commissioned the Multicultural services in NSW public libraries research to explore services offered to multicultural communities, compare services with relevant benchmarks, and to develop strategies to meet these benchmarks.