The Allen County Public Library is expanding its Bilingual Mon Storytime offerings with the addition of “Bilingual Mon Storytime,” creating a new opportunity for families with Myanmar heritage in Allen County to celebrate reading in their home language and English.
Allen County Public Library news release:
ACPL Expands Bilingual Storytimes to Include Mon Language
Fort Wayne, Indiana (September 9, 2026) – The Allen County Public Library (ACPL) is expanding its bilingual storytime offerings with the addition of “Bilingual Mon Storytime,” creating a new opportunity for families with Myanmar heritage in Allen County to celebrate reading in their home language and English.
The new addition will debut this Saturday, Sept. 12, from 3 to 4 p.m. in the Main Library StoryScape. The program will feature a traditional story from Mon culture, shared in both Mon and English, and is intended for children from birth through preschool and their families.
The addition of Mon programming reflects ACPL’s commitment to making the library a welcoming and accessible resource for immigrant and refugee families. For families learning a new language and navigating a new community, early literacy can play an important role in helping children develop language skills while maintaining connections to their family’s culture and language.
“Literacy is one of the most powerful tools we can offer families as they build new lives in our community,” said ACPL Youth Services Coordinator Gabi Jauregui. “For Mon families, having the opportunity to hear stories and participate in literacy activities in both Mon and English gives children a chance to see their home language represented while developing the skills they need to succeed in school and beyond. It also gives parents and caregivers a meaningful way to participate in their children’s early learning.”
The new Mon storytime builds on the success of ACPL’s Spanish and German bilingual storytimes, which launched earlier this year. Together, the programs represent a broader effort to use the library’s early literacy programming to reflect the languages spoken by families throughout Allen County. For immigrant and refugee families, libraries can serve as an important bridge between home, school, and the broader community. Bilingual programming gives caregivers an opportunity to engage with literacy even when English is not their first language, while helping children develop confidence in both languages.
“Bilingual storytime is about much more than reading two languages aloud,” said Jauregui. “It creates a place where families can see themselves, hear their language, and share their culture while building vocabulary and listening skills. Every child deserves a foundation for lifelong reading and bilingual storytimes can be a part of that journey.”
The full, current schedule of bilingual storytimes is available at acpl.info/events. All storytimes are free and open to the public. Advance registration is encouraged.
About the Allen County Public Library
The Allen County Public Library (ACPL) has fostered lifelong learning and discovery in northeast Indiana for more than 135 years. The ACPL consists of fourteen branches throughout Allen County, serving more than one million visitors per year. The ACPL’s collection includes more than 3.9 million items, with a circulation total of 4.6 million items borrowed annually. It also houses The Genealogy Center, the nation’s largest public genealogy research center, and The Rolland Center for Lincoln Research, consisting of more than 30,000 artifacts related to President Abraham Lincoln.
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