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Celebrate Welcoming Week!

September 12-21, 2025

Welcoming Week is an annual nationwide campaign that brings together communities around the world and seeks to create and strengthen welcoming communities for all people, especially immigrants and refugees. This year, the theme is Stories We Share, promoting the idea that stories connect us and help build understanding.

San Diego Public Library proudly celebrates Welcoming Week by offering inclusive storytimes, all-ages programming, international language collections, resources, information, booklists and more.

SDPL serves the City’s diverse population and created this website in an effort to ensure local residents have accurate, accessible and multilingual information about their rights, resources and available support services.  

Quick links:

Welcome Stations

 

A patron is taking a book from a Welcome Station at a SDPL branch.

Welcome Stations, often located in the main lobby of San Diego Public Library branches, provide information and resources for new San Diego residents. These stations are part of the library's broader efforts to be a welcoming space for everyone, including those new to the city or area.  

 

San Diego Public Library hosts several assistance programs with trusted community partners. These programs are often promoted at Welcome Stations. Library staff can also help find and provide referrals to other assistance agencies. Call your local branch to ask reference and fact-based questions or contact us via our virtual reference service Chat with a Librarian. To find your local branch, call 619-236-5800 or go to Library Locations.  

 

More resources can be accessed at the City of San Diego’s New San Diegans Resource Center and at 2-1-1 San Diego. 2-1-1 is a local resource guide that provides free and confidential information and referral. Call 2-1-1 for help with food, housing, employment, health care, counseling and more or visit 211sandiego.org. 

Storytimes

A group of three children smile and group around a book.

Libraries across the city are hosting storytimes that celebrate first languages and Welcoming Week—many locations host regular bilingual read-alouds every month!

Sept. 17 | 10 a.m. | Carmel Mountain Ranch Library 

 

Spanish/English Storytimes 

Mandarin/English Storytimes 

 

Vietnamese/English Storytime  

Mira Mesa Library | Monthly, 2nd Saturday | Ages 0–10 

Sept. 13 | Oct. 11 | Nov. 8  

 

Sept. 16 | 6:30 p.m. | Rancho Bernardo Library 

 

Sept. 17 | 10 a.m.  | La Jolla/Riford Library 

 

Sept. 24 | 10:30 a.m. | La Jolla/Riford Library 

 

Oct. 4 | 10 a.m. | Mira Mesa Library   

 

Storytime at Home with LOTE4Kids

Can’t make it to a storytime? Explore a digital collection of picture books in over 65 languages. LOTE4Kids (Languages Other Than English) is good for children and adults looking for content in a native language or those learning a new language.

 
 

Watch more resource videos

Adult Programs

Illustration of two figures engaged in back-and-forth dialogue.

English Conversational Club 
Branches across the city are hosting English Conversational Club. Details vary by location:

 

Cinema Club: Welcoming Week – The Visitor (2007) 
Sept. 30 | 5:30 p.m. | La Jolla/Riford Library  

Film screening followed by a community discussion for cinephiles and movie lovers interested in having thought-provoking conversations about cinema. Light refreshments provided. Held on the last Tuesday of every month at 5:30pm. 

Library Resources

Free Library Card

The San Diego Public Library offers free library cards to residents that may be used at any SDPL location. In addition to borrowing books, DVDs and museum passes, library cards allows users to download digital materials, use electronic resources, take online classes, use library computers and much more. 

Sign up for a Library Card

International Language Collection

The library's international language collection includes books, periodicals, audio, and DVDs. Materials are offered in Arabic, Cambodian, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Farsi, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Haitian Creole, Hmong, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Tagalog and Vietnamese. Search materials by language here. 

English Learning Materials

Browse our catalog, check items’ availability and place English learning materials on hold:

Access English learning resources through our eLibrary, a library card may be required:

(Available in Cantonese, ESL, French, Mandarin, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese) 

Adult & Family Literacy Services

READ/San Diego is a free literacy instruction service for adults 18 years and older to learn or improve reading and writing. Services include one-on-one tutoring, small group classes, and family literacy. Become a learner or volunteer here!  

READ/San Diego (619-238-6603) and San Diego Council on Literacy (888-850-7323) can each help you find literacy programs throughout San Diego County.

Adult Education and Career Development

The library is proud to offer San Diegans Adult Education Resources, including an online Adult High School Diploma Program as well as Career Development Resources.  

Citizenship Preparation

Borrow materials or access online resources about immigration and U.S. Citizenship:

Know Your Rights!*

The City of San Diego has compiled resources and information to help community members know their rights, find trusted service providers and access the services they need. 

Know Your Rights and Community Resources Webpage

  • Immigration Legal Assistance Community Resources
  • Creating a Family Preparedness Plan
  • Know Your Rights ILRC Red Cards in 42 languages (for informational purposes only)
  • Small Business Resources

Immigration and San Diego Police: What to Know guide

  • SDPD Legal Guidelines
  • Calls for Emergency Assistance
  • Locating a Person in Detention

ACLU San Diego: Know Your Rights Resource Hub Videos*

The San Diego chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has created the “We Have Rights” video series featuring real-life stories of people’s encounters with ICE. These stories are shared to provide key information on asserting one’s rights, protecting people and being informed during interactions. 

* DISCLAIMER: The information on these pages is for educational and informational purposes only. The content is not legal advice. For legal assistance, please contact an attorney.

Community Resources

Citizenship

Community Based Organizations and Cultural Centers

Embassies and Consulates

There are various diplomatic missions based in San Diego, including Embassies, Consulates, High Commissions. These provide services including passport and visa processing, emergency assistance for citizens abroad, notary and document legalization, and promoting cultural and economic relations. Some of them are:

Employment

English and Literacy

Food and Nutrition

San Diego organizations and resources including community food distributions and government-subsidized supplemental nutrition assistance programs.  

Healthcare and Mental Health

The County of San Diego’s Health & Human Services Agency offers a variety of services for immigrants, including programs focused on resettlement, legal assistance, healthcare and social services.  

Health Clinics  

Several health clinics in San Diego offer services specifically tailored to immigrants and refugees by providing comprehensive primary care, including culturally and linguistically appropriate services for newcomers.  

Mental Health  

Housing

Immigrant Legal Service Providers

San Diego has many non-profit legal service providers that work with immigrants both in the city and county. Each organization listed has its own intake process and different specialties within the field of immigration law. Legal clinics answer questions and assist with immigration topics including eligibility, green cards, adjustment of immigration status, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), temporary protected status (TPS), guardianship, and more. Assistance is available in multiple languages. Contact or make an appointment for consultation.  

ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties  

Alliance San Diego  

Al Otro Lado  

American Bar Association Immigration Justice Project  

American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)

Border Angels

Cal Western Community Law Project

Casa Cornelia  

Catholic Charities

Employee Rights Center  

Immigrant Defenders Law Center  

Immigration Center for Women and Children  

Immigration Legal Services Coalition of San Diego (ILSC): (858)751-7553

International Rescue Committee

Jewish Family Service  

Legal Aid Society of San Diego  

Pathways to Citizenship

Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans (PANA)  

San Diego County Immigrant Rights Legal Defense Program (IRLDP): (619)446-2883

San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program  

University of San Diego (USD) School of Law Legal Clinics 
 

Transportation

In San Diego, public transportation is provided by the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) and the North County Transit System (NCTS). MTS provides bus and trolley services in the City of San Diego and southern part of the county.  

 

Booklists

 

Services