WEST SPRINGFIELD – For four weeks at the end of December and early January, the West Springfield Public Library will be offering a virtual American sign language (ASL) course over Zoom.

From 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. each Monday, starting on Dec. 21, residents in the area are invited to participate in learning the basics of sign language through lessons, activities and games. Study guides and instructional videos will also be provided throughout the course, according to the library’s website.

Partnering with the library for this course is SIGNING Basics, an organization that offers private tutoring and training programs for those who wish to learn sign language.

“We try to offer programs as often as possible that meet the interest and needs of the community, whether for entertainment or education,” said Christopher Franks, the adult services librarian at the public library. “We were very excited when SIGNING Basics reached out with a virtual version of their Basics course.”

Theresa King, a longtime teacher and instructor of sign language from SIGNING, reached out to the library in 2019. According to Franks, SIGNING’s courses were “well put together,” and the recommendations they received from other libraries about SIGNING were “great.”

The library decided to offer an ASL Night course to gauge community interest. The response to those first sessions, according to Franks, was “amazing.” Because of that, the library decided to arrange dates for a longer Introduction to ASL course, which is what they are doing now. According to Franks, the Friends of the West Springfield Public Library assisted with costs for the course and materials.

“Theresa and SIGNING Basics have been great to work with, and we are very glad that we are able to continue partnering with them,” said Franks.

King, who has been teaching sign language for around 10 to 15 years, conducts sign language programs for college and high school students. She has taught at Northampton public schools, South Hadley public schools, as well as in West Hartford for deaf students.

“We provide many different courses,” sad King. “SIGNING Basics has tutoring and also some training with skilled, experienced teachers who can teach one-on-one.”

SIGNING Basics also has a group class for eager people looking to learn sign language. There is a membership for that, according to King.

“We also provide training to organizations and businesses,” added King. “That helps them know how to communicate with some of their deaf or hard-of-hearing clients.”

The organization offers sign language classes at local libraries for beginners, as well as those who may want to improve their sign language skills. During these courses, people will learn how to put together simple sentences so they can talk to co-workers or other people in the community who may be deaf.

“Most of our clients want private coaching,” said King, with regards to what a lot of SIGNING participants prefer. “Sometimes it’s not always possible to see each other in person, so we use Facetime, Skype, and also Zoom.”

Even before COVID-19, SIGNING was offering a lot of their classes online, even while working with local libraries.

“There’s so many people who are stuck at home, and they want to get involved, and have something new to learn,” said King. “And so now they have an opportunity to learn sign language.”

SIGNING holds youth classes for children 10 through 13 years of age, but for the ASL Basics class being conducted at the library, King recommends participants be 13 years of age and older. They also have a baby sign language class, where parents can learn how to communicate with their babies – between 0 and 3 years of age – through sign language.

“People are so motivated, and they want to learn, and that makes my class experience so enjoyable,” said King “I just love meeting all the different people.”

The organization continues to push their mission statement, which involves offering customers an “enriching experience,” that teaches “fun, enjoyable and accurate sign language to bridge communities’ one sign and course at a time.”

The course in West Springfield is free, according to Franks. To learn more about other ASL classes, visit the SIGNING Basics’ website at https://signingbasics.vpweb.com/Workshops-Classes.html.

To register for the ASL Basics course at the library, visit the library’s website at www.wspl.org.

“Providing materials and services – like this kind of programming – to our residents and the wider community, is the core to WSPL’s mission,” said Franks. “We are always looking for new ways to expand and provide the services we offer.”