 I speak English, Dutch, French, Spanish, German, Mandarin, Russian, Arabic, Bulgarian, Turkish, Icelandic, and Hungarian. With the British Library being the national library of the UK, you might think that English language material is its primary focus. The collection actually includes well over 150 million items in most known languages and the library's users come from all around the world to access this polyglot treasure trove. In fact, before you've even stepped foot in the building, you can access information about the library online in over 20 languages. I'm Jen Kalea, the first ever translator in residence at the British Library. This new residency gives a literary translator the chance to champion translation through workshops, events, and research. And part of my time here has been spent learning how the British Library staff use their multiple languages in various ways. From the moment you enter the British Library, you enter a space bubbling with languages. We have many visitors every day. We can see happiness on their face when we speak their language. Knowing different languages did help us to help the customer, to make them feel comfortable, to make them feel home. Also between us we don't speak always English. Most of the time we are talking Spanish or in Italian. Translation and multilingualism touch every part of the visitor experience. From the front-facing staff to foreign language and British Sign Language interpreters at events. We have lots of people coming from all over the world, so language is very important here. I explained to my visitors in Portuguese or in Spanish, so make sure that they understand everything in their language and to get the best from the library. Behind the scenes at the London and Boston Spa sites, staff use their languages and knowledge of other cultures both directly and indirectly. Some use them for fascinating projects and activities in their free time. I have a research interest in translation, so I'm very interested in expressions that exist in English, which don't exist in Spanish or in other languages. I think the British Library must be the most multilingual institution I've ever worked in. I'm using my languages probably in this workplace more than I have in previous workplaces actually. I think it's absolutely great because you get insight into different cultures and you can communicate with people on different levels. Knowing multiple languages is really like having a bunch of different windows that you can open onto the world, each with a different perspective. Sometimes we get requests for translations. I did a label for the current exhibition. There was a Dutch text. My colleague came up and asked me if I could advise her what it meant, and I tried my best to do that. Recently, I helped one of my colleagues who was doing a tour with French students. They weren't speaking a word of English, so it's great for me to be there, to be doing a bit of translation. It's really part of my everyday work, really. Sometimes I access a translator in local Chinese community groups. Between English and Chinese, I just help as much as I can. Over the last 15 years or so, I've concentrated on Scandinavian languages. I do use them every single day. I enjoy the satisfaction of knowing other languages, which is also about being able to converse with other people and also to understand different cultures. I think you get a real sense of achievement when you understand somebody's irony in another language. Without its multilingual and multinational staff, the British Library wouldn't be the internationally outstanding institution it is. Translators and mediators make knowledge accessible, much like the British Library itself, though we don't always see the work going on behind the scenes. I work for the British Library. I work for the British Library. I work with the British Library. I work with the British Library. I work for the British Library.