WiLS February 2015 Vendor Partner Interview: John Kourletakis, Mango Languages

At WiLS, we want to bring valuable information to our library partners, including information about the missions and big ideas of the vendors they may already do business with.  Each month, WiLS will interview a vendor partner in order to bridge the gap and open the door to valuable collaborations.  This month, we are delighted to share insights from John Kourletakis, Account Manager and Library Advocate with Mango Languages.

These interviews are part of a series of interviews with both WiLS library and vendor partners.  Your feedback is appreciated.  If you have any to offer on this article, or suggestions for upcoming interviews, contact Andrea Coffin at .

Tell us about your company’s background.

Four close friends who shared a passion for language and culture founded Mango in 2007. Before becoming the number one language-learning resource in public libraries, the founders of Mango used public libraries as a meeting space until they could afford offices. In fact, one of our founders met his wife while standing in line at the checkout desk.  Today, we are constantly improving our web and mobile-based resources in order to help libraries become more relevant and essential within their communities.  Our language-learning resource is now available to tens of millions through our library partners.

Why do you, personally, choose to work with libraries?

Personally, I had not stepped foot inside a public library for years before working with Mango Languages. I discovered Mango while searching for an app to help me brush up my Greek.  I found out Mango HQ was in my area and kept in touch with them for a year before they hired me. That’s when I re-discovered the public library. I am fascinated by all the resources libraries provide today, from digital magazines and genealogy mapping to language learning and even 3d-printing services.  The words “library advocate” are written on my card and in my email signature, and I am known to talk anyone’s ear off about the multitude of cool services public libraries offer in addition to book lending.

What do you like to know about the libraries you work with?  What helps you better understand their needs?

I like to know about population demographics and library marketing techniques, but beyond that I also like to ask important questions.  For example, what ties does the library have to the community and how can Mango help strengthen awareness about what the library has to offer?

We currently offer over 65 languages, many of which were chosen for development based on input we’ve received from libraries about what courses their patrons find most beneficial.  We likewise offer 17 ESL courses, which offer yet another way for public libraries to reach out to their community members and give them an opportunity to come together at their libraries.

What big ideas are being worked on at your company?  What problems are being solved?

All of us in the library industry share a common purpose: to get new patrons in the door and help them rediscover their public library.  Mango’s newest mobile apps (released this month!) help achieve just that. Whereas other library apps may require you to be a library cardholder before using a mobile resource, Mango has taken a different approach.  In our new app, anyone searching for a language-learning resource is able to complete the first lesson in all of our available languages. Users are then prompted to visit their nearest local library and get a library card to unlock the entire Mango experience.  Other language-learning resources may have the goal of turning patrons into private consumers, but Mango finds consumers and turns them into patrons.

How can librarians become partners in product or training development?

At Mango, we seek out opportunities to become partners with libraries.  In fact, we have just released a Cherokee course thanks to the recommendation and help of the Tulsa City-County Library of Oklahoma and language specialists from the Cherokee Nation.  If there is a special demand within your community, we want to help. I would also like to encourage libraries to assist in digital-literacy training for patrons. In today’s digital touch and swipe age, many library e-resources may appear intimidating, especially to those using their first tablets or smartphones. I would recommend local libraries recruit a mobile-specialist volunteer for each resource they offer and hold evening workshops. Ask your patrons to bring in their devices and walk them through the steps of downloading magazines, checking out e-books, streaming movies, and of course, using Mango, to help them get the most out of their devices with their library membership.