The Mark Twain Library is hoping to highlight its vast collection of Khmer language books—the largest in the United States—through a Khmer collection bingo challenge.
The bingo cards, which are available for free at the Mark Twain Library at 1401 E Anaheim Street, include challenges such as “use a Cambodian cookbook from the Long Beach Public Library to make a dish,” “listen to a CD from the Long Beach Public Library of popular Cambodian music” and “read a Khmer or Khmer/English picture book from LBPL.”
Once a resident completes a full line of challenges, either straight across or diagonal, they can turn in their bingo card to the Mark Twain Library to enter a raffle of gift cards and certificates from local stores and restaurants.
“[The challenge] makes it [the collection] accessible, more inclusive. It’s just a reflection of our communities that we’ve had here in Long Beach for the last 40 years,” senior librarian Christina Nhek said. “It’s just that recognition to the community. We have the largest circulating collection and it’s just getting the word out that we have this wonderful collection for people to use and it’s here.”
The library has over 3,000 books, CDs and audiobooks in its Khmer collection, including options for adults and children, according to Nhek.
“The thing about the collection is that it’s not something that you can just order online, like we had to take physical trips to the country to buy these materials,” Nhek said. The last trip to Cambodia to obtain materials was in 2018.
The Mark Twain Library received a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the Library Services and Technology Act, which was passed in 1996. One of the goals of the grant was to “inform the community about the collection,” according to Nhek. The Khmer bingo challenge serves as the outreach component of the grant.
The library’s intern Sophea Chim was hired through the grant and is undertaking the process of translating the library’s Khmer collection into English. She worked on producing the bingo challenge for the last couple of months.
According to Nhek, a handful of cards have already been completed and turned in to compete in the raffle. The challenge was introduced in June, but was on a pause while the Mark Twain Library closed for maintenance that month. As a result, the end date of the challenge was moved to Aug. 31.
Residents can pick up a card to participate at the Mark Twain Neighborhood Library at 1401 E Anaheim St. The library is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 7 p.m., Wednesdays from noon to 6 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m. Winners will be notified via email or phone.
The library will have a table at a community visioning event for the Cambodian American Cultural Center on Saturday, Aug. 20, where bingo cards will be handed out and residents can learn more about the programs the library has to offer.
