What’s in a Word? ”Libreria VS Biblioteca.”

“Libreria” vs “Biblioteca”

Have you ever been confused by a word that looked like another word? You know, like bear and bare or idol and idle?  

Today's episode of JocCoLibrary Uncovered isn't about homophones or false cognates. But it is about how words can seem like one thing but mean something else, particularly in Spanish, and especially the words "Biblioteca" and "Libreria."  

We're a bit past the mid-way mark of Hispanic Heritage Month, so it's fitting that our Latino Services Librarians, Christine and German, are our guests today. They do the hard work of explaining cognates and how words that look like other words can lead to confusion.  

We also discuss the confusion that comes when a person experiences a Library in one country and then moves or visits another place, and how that can sometimes influence perceptions of what Libraries are like away from home. To some, differing understandings of what libraries are and are not in other countries may affect their perception of what Johnson County Library offers patrons—and Christina and German help us clear that up.  

Our Recommendations:    
Charles’ Choices: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Gótico) & Our America: a Hispanic History of the United States by Felipe Fernández-Armesto  
Dave’s Double-feature: visit the streaming video section of our eLibrary. On Kanopy you'll find "Guie’dani‘s Navel." And look for "Visiones: Latino Art & Culture." This is a series that explores visual art, performing arts, music and dance as a way to discover Latin American culture.   
Learning Links:

• jocolibrary.org/español
• German Perilla, Univision KC, Falsos Cognados
• Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
• Fiction for National Hispanic Heritage Month!
• Photos of Libraries in Bogota Columbia
• Biblioburro the Library Donkey