ARIZONA
Too many patients have poor
health literacy
Inside
Tucson Business: 10.11.2013 by Kay Miller Temple
PHOENIX — Paulette Compton’s husband had an MBA and was trained
by the military to fly planes, helicopters and blimps. But faced with doctor’s
recommendation to get a chest X-ray to determine the cause of a persistent
cough, he refused.
She learned that only after Cecil Compton died at age 71 from
lung cancer, five months after it was finally diagnosed.
Now Compton is left to wonder if her husband had understood that
acting on the advice to get a chest X-ray could have led to earlier detection
of cancer.
“There is no doubt my husband was a smart man, a very smart
man,” Compton said, “but I don’t think he understood why a chest X-ray might
have been important.”
According to experts, Cecil Compton fit the profile of most
people who don’t understand health information.
They are literate on many other topics but still find it difficult to understand
and act in order to make the best choices.
Health literacy, or being able to read, understand and act
on medical information, is a struggle for nine in 10 people, according to the
U.S. Preventative Task Force, an independent group of health care experts.
. . . . .
Evonda Copeland, library services supervisor for Scottsdale Healthcare,
said that’s where a medical librarian can step in by taking the time to give
personal assistance and one-on-one attention to make sure patients get answers
to their health care questions. READ MORE !
CALIFORNIA
Literacy — A simple
solution for 24 years
Lompoc
Record: 10.25.2013 by Christina Chill, Library Literacy Coordinator
From my experience as literacy coordinator at Lompoc Public Library
since 1981, I firmly believe “literacy” is essential to success in today’s
information-driven society.
It is a basic need that helps people emerge out of poverty and
into the mainstream of our society. Yet, despite our nation’s best efforts, a
recent study shows that illiteracy rates have made little or no progress in 30
years and still remains to be a silent epidemic, one that is not talked about
and often swept under the rug.
I am very passionate about this issue — one, because I have a
son who nearly fell through the cracks of our educational system, and two,
because I love reading and learning and could not for one minute imagine my own
life without the ability to read, write and express myself.
After working in literacy for more than two decades, I have come
to realize that this segment of our population needs a voice, someone to
advocate for them and make our community aware of the importance and continued
need for free and easy access to lifelong learning opportunities. To this day,
I still find it astonishing and somewhat appalling, that 18 percent of
English-speaking adults in our county — our neighbors — lack basic reading and
writing skills. This is a community problem.
.
.
. . .
We are also forming a Literacy Committee to help the Library
formulate a plan for continuance of literacy service into the future.
Anyone interested in this issue is invited to attend the first
meeting which will begin at 6 p.m. Monday in the Grossman Gallery at the Lompoc
Public Library, 501 E. North Ave. READ
MORE !
MASSACHUSETTS
Worcester Public Library and Literacy Volunteers of Greater
Worcester celebrate Constitution Day
In City Times Worcester: 10.18.2013 by Laurie D’Amico
“I am an American!” Those are the words that inspire American citizenship seekers to study US history for countless hours and to practice using difficult words in English to pass the naturalization test.
“I am an American!” Those are the words that inspire American citizenship seekers to study US history for countless hours and to practice using difficult words in English to pass the naturalization test.
On September 17 at the Worcester Public Library immigrants
and refugees interested in finding out more about citizenship were able to meet
with the field officers from the US Department of Homeland Security and the
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Lou Chaves and Roy Davis of
USCIS spent the afternoon and evening answering specific questions about how to
successfully apply and attain US citizenship. Mr. Davis explained how important
it is to be sure who you go to for help. Sometimes people pretend to be
“immigration experts” to deceive you and take your money. Of course this is
against the law, but it happens everyday.
The Literacy Volunteers of Greater office located in room 332 at the Worcester Public Library offers free ESL and Citizenship classes throughout the year. The goals are to explain qualifications for citizenship, offer lessons in US History, prepare for the Naturalization test and answer basic questions on how to complete necessary forms. The library offers the most recent available citizenship materials such as cds, dvds, books, flashcards and playaways that can be easily borrowed with the use of a library card.
Mr. Roy Davis explained that citizenship seekers can apply for a USCIS infopass which is a free Internet-based scheduling system available online that allows you to make appointments at your local USCIS office to meet with an immigration officer. Sometimes websites that look professional can also lead you to a scam. Citizenship teacher Cricket Paulsen, has the information to access the info pass and helps make the naturalization process safe, informative and successful.
The Literacy Volunteers of Greater office located in room 332 at the Worcester Public Library offers free ESL and Citizenship classes throughout the year. The goals are to explain qualifications for citizenship, offer lessons in US History, prepare for the Naturalization test and answer basic questions on how to complete necessary forms. The library offers the most recent available citizenship materials such as cds, dvds, books, flashcards and playaways that can be easily borrowed with the use of a library card.
Mr. Roy Davis explained that citizenship seekers can apply for a USCIS infopass which is a free Internet-based scheduling system available online that allows you to make appointments at your local USCIS office to meet with an immigration officer. Sometimes websites that look professional can also lead you to a scam. Citizenship teacher Cricket Paulsen, has the information to access the info pass and helps make the naturalization process safe, informative and successful.
UTAH
Literacy indicator of healthy society
Daily Utah Chronicle: 10.23.2013 by Nafisa Masud
In this day and age, it is rare for a fellow passenger on
public transportation to be reading a novel for pleasure, or for a child to
shun a computer in favor of a well-worn book. And while my heart breaks as I
write it, the advances of our modern world are making traditional book reading
uncommon.
But fear not, fellow
readers — books still have a place in our world, albeit in a different form.
The ways we function, travel and communicate have changed and evolved over
time, but literacy and the written word retain great value in today’s society.
Author Neil Gaiman
recently gave a lecture at the annual Reading Agency on the future of books and
their importance, emphasizing the empathy and inventiveness reading grants us.
Gaiman argues that books provide us with an enriched perspective of the world
around us and grant us the ingenuity to find solutions to the problems we
encounter.
And though many would agree that literacy is still a
valuable trait, few believe libraries retain their importance. Throughout
history libraries have existed as sources of knowledge and information. During
medieval times, books were often written in the form of illuminated
manuscripts, carrying both physical and material heft, and as such were
impossible for the masses to keep within their own homes. Instead they came to
libraries, places of copious information when it was scarcely found elsewhere. READ MORE !
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