LAKEPORT, Calif. – All four Lake County Library branches now have new Spanish language books for children thanks to a grant from the California State Library.

The Lake County Library applied for and won a $5,000 grant from the California State Library’s California Immigrant Alliance Project.

The new books include picture books, easy readers, chapter books, graphic novels and nonfiction books.

According to the State Library, California is home to more than 10 million immigrants. The latest available data show that nearly 27 percent of California’s population is foreign-born, about twice the US percentage overall.

Public libraries play a key role in welcoming and educating immigrants. The Immigrant Alliance Project was created to support libraries as they create, enhance, and extend services to immigrants and their families.

The Lake County Library is on the internet at http://library.lakecountyca.gov and Facebook at www.facebook.com/LakeCountyLibrary .

Jan Cook is a technician with the Lake County Library.