Every Monday and Friday, parents and their children gather at Provo City Library for “Cuentos,” or Spanish Story Time.
At “Cuentos,” families gather to sing songs and hear stories in Spanish, a native language for many of the attendees — like Carla Sanchez.
“I am from Mexico, and I try to make my children feel that they don’t only have to adapt to the culture of the United States but that they can also feel pride for the culture of their fathers,” Sanchez said.
"You've got parents that are coming here with these tiny little babies that are like 'I have nowhere else to go, and I don't really know what to do to entertain my children,' and then they come here and they find a really safe place to do that,” Alexa Stevenson said.
In a primarily English-speaking community, spaces to connect to others in Spanish can be hard to find. “Cuentos” gives families a place to share stories, language and culture together.
"It's watching those people that come in, and you see that Story Time has been this answer to something they've been searching for,” Stevenson said.
"There are songs that we recognize from where we are from,” Sanchez said.
For attendees like Carla, the connection doesn’t end when Story Time is over.
"My daughter loves to sing, and she comes home singing in Spanish,” Sanchez said.
That sense of connection is part of what makes the library so valuable to people in the community.
"I wish that people realized how special libraries are. And how it doesn't matter what type of connection you are seeking — whether a cultural connection, some sort of financial connection to help yourself move forward in life, career — anything can be done at a library,” Stevenson said.
For these families, finding Spanish Story Time is more than just a way to entertain their kids; it’s a way for them to connect with other Spanish speakers in the community.