Thursday, January 31, 2019

Princh Library Lounge Podcast :: Feb 5


Princh Library Lounge
Princh: January 2019

Listen to the Princh Library Lounge to discover insights into creating the library of the future through interviews with influential library professionals from all over the world. Our guests will discuss and share their expertise on relevant topics for the global library community, such as library trends, challenges, and best practices.

Hosted by Princh’s library innovation specialist and book worm, Vicky Barnas and episodes are put together by the Princh Podcast team.

The guests of the very first episode of the Princh Library Lounge podcast: @janecowell8 and @NickPoole1.

Stay tuned for the first episode Tuesday, February 5th.


Wednesday, January 30, 2019

National Literacy & Library Events :: February 2019


National Literacy & Library Events :: February 2019

Literacy & Library Events & Conferences


Feb. 01      Literacy Action Week
Feb. 01      World Read Aloud Day
Feb. 02      Literacy for/and Social Justice University of Georgia
Feb. 04      Plain Talk about Literacy and Learning New Orleans LA
Feb. 06      Global School Play Day
Feb. 07      Harry Potter Book Night
Feb. 07      Young Child Los Angeles Expo Los Angeles CA
Feb. 09      National Reading Recovery Literacy Conference Columbus OH
Feb. 14      Book Giving Day
Feb. 18      Learning Disabilities Association of America Ft Worth TX
Feb. 21      Mother Language Day
Feb. 24      Freedom to Read Week Canada
Feb. 26      Tell A Fairy Tale Day
Feb. 28      Digital Learning Day
Feb. 28      Latino Children's Literature Conference Univ of Texas San Antonio



Literacy – Spanning the US :: Coffee Co TN :: Milpitas CA :: Manitowoc WI


Literacy: Spanning the U.S.     

A Little Research Can Help Make Resolutions Stick
Tullahoma News: 1.06.2019

When the clock struck midnight on Jan. 1, millions of people around the world made resolutions and set goals to accomplish during the New Year. Resolutions vary from person to person, but there are commonalities and popular goals that dominate lists around the world.

Some of the most popular New Year’s resolutions are losing weight, exercising more, getting out of debt, saving money, eating healthier, managing life, living a more adventurous lifestyle, traveling or even managing healthier relationships.

Luckily, achieving some of those goals can become a little easier with some help from The Book Shelf and the local D.W. Wilson Community Center.

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The Book Shelf is located inside the Northgate Mall, and every book sold benefits the Coffee County Literacy Council.

The Literacy Council promotes adult basic education. To raise funds for the council, The Book Shelf sells a wide variety of books. With those funds, the Literacy Council provides helps adults in Coffee County better their lives and the lives of their families by covering the cost of tests and providing classes, internet, computers and teachers to adults seeking basic higher education.  READ MORE >>

A Student Story: A Grandfather's Wish
ProLiteracy Blog: 1.08.2019 by Jennifer Vecchiarelli: Student StoriesStories from the Field

Ruben Dozal Jr., a Brawley, California native, is one of eight children. He has worked hard and struggled throughout his entire life—he has had little education and no high school diploma. However, even though life has had its ups and downs for Ruben, he always tried to make the best out of each and every situation brought to him.
“I had no idea what literacy meant and did not care because I knew how to spell my name and knew how much I was getting paid an hour,” he wrote in his book, What About Literacy. “To tell you the truth, that was all that mattered until I was blessed with grandchildren.”

Ruben would pretend to read to his grandchildren from storybooks until one day his granddaughter pointed out, “Grandpa, that's not what it says here.” Ruben was determined to learn how to read and write so he could finally really read to his grandkids. 

When she realized he had a flair for words, in spite of not being able to read, his granddaughter’s daycare teacher suggested that he attend the local adult reading program. Ruben then enrolled in Vision Literacy and started his very challenging but successful journey.  READ MORE >>

Ruben is a published poet and author.
My Dad's Thoughts: Bits and Pieces of Life

Manitowoc Adult Literacy Program Volunteers Help Change Lives
Herald Times Reporter: 1.10.2019 by Jo Ann Dent

A recent national survey by ProLiteracy Voices revealed that while 81 percent of people are aware adult literacy is an issue in the United States, only 13 percent are aware of local organizations in their community that provide adult literacy services.

In other words, while most of us know adults who lack basic skills in English literacy are at a significant disadvantage when it comes to education, employment and overall quality of life, not very many of us actually know where to go in our own community for help.

Fortunately, here in Manitowoc County we have trained community volunteers who provide free tutoring for adults through the One-to-One Adult Literacy Partners program of Manitowoc Public Library. This one-to-one, individualized tutoring is designed to help adult learners develop and improve their skills in reading, writing, comprehending and speaking in English.

One of the best things about my job as coordinator of the One-to-One Adult Literacy Partners is hearing from tutors about the milestones — big and small — that their learners achieve each month. One learner has been writing stories to improve her English literacy skills, another adult finished reading a book for the first time, and another learner is working on reading and comprehending menus and nutrition labels.

Many of our adult learners juggle jobs and families or attending classes at Lakeshore Technical College, while still making time for their tutoring sessions.  READ MORE >>


Tuesday, January 29, 2019

STEM and Literacy Driving Auto Industry’s Future via Wards Auto


STEM and Literacy Driving Auto Industry’s Future
Wards Auto: 1.08.2019 by Pamela Good

It is no secret that the automotive and technology industries are faced with an engineering and skilled trades shortage.

study by Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute reveals the skills gap may leave an estimated 2.4 million positions unfilled between 2018 and 2028, with a potential economic impact of $2.5 trillion. The study also shows the positions relating to digital talent, skilled production and operational managers may be three times as difficult to fill in the next three years.

STEM education (science, technology, engineering and math) in the classroom has proved successful in exciting students about careers in STEM fields. Adding the arts/design to this mix of skills has resulted in even more well-rounded students, creating a STEAM movement.

Still, without reading and literacy, our workforce and our communities will continue to fall short.

Children and adults who cannot read cannot learn and cannot participate in the workforce. The future of the automotive industry and the nation’s workforce depends on everyone learning this fundamental yet critical skill. By adding the letter R for reading, we can create a STREAM movement to keep every child and adult continuously learning and moving toward success.

Several key automotive OEM and supplier partners agree. They help Beyond Basics, a metropolitan Detroit literacy nonprofit, battle the literacy crisis one student at a time by providing financial support for our tutoring program and mentoring students with literacy enrichment activities at local schools.  READ MORE >>


Monday, January 28, 2019

Advocacy 101 Video: Getting Your Library Story In Your Local News via ALA


Advocacy 101: Getting Your Library Story in your Local News
ALA: 1.24.2019

Advocacy Storytelling 101 shows how one ALA member from Cobb County Public Library built strong relationships with his local news media. By pitching his library story effectively to newswriters, the local newspaper put the library on the front page and highlighted for the entire community how the library has changed the lives of hundreds of children. While the video shows Tom’s success story, resources on *ALA’s advocacy website show step-by-step how to start reaching out to your local journalists and leverage social media to tell your story.  WATCH 04:22


Local media outlets base their news coverage on the priorities of their readers, and library professionals have unique insight into a community’s concerns. By building a relationship with news editors and reporters in your local media, you can join the ongoing conversation about issues that matter to you, your library and your community.

Decide what story you want to tell.

Reporters want to cover “news” – a hot new program or exciting guest speaker – but you can broaden the scope of the news value to cover the bigger story you want to tell: libraries strengthen communities.

➤ Offer a new angle on an existing issue or story. For example, put a human face on how budget decisions could impact individuals in your community – a great story when budget decisions are being made.

➤ Show a trend. If you want to pitch a Labor Day story focusing on services that strengthen local economies, you might mention that your library, like 73% of public libraries across the country, assists patrons with job applications and interviewing skills.

➤ Appeal to a decision maker’s interests. If your representative is on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, a story that highlights your library’s services to veterans illustrates why libraries are worth federal investment.  READ MORE >>


Sunday, January 27, 2019

Literacy – Spanning the US :: Belleville IL ::Jefferson Co WV :: Champaign IL :: Bangor ME


Literacy: Spanning the U.S.     

Catholic Charities’ Inmate Literacy Program Has Been Highly Successful
Belleville Messenger: 1.03.2019 by Suzanne Koziatek

An innovative program to provide peer-to-peer literacy help in Illinois’ prisons has been phenomenally successful: results show 97 percent of inmates who were tutored by other inmates have advanced their reading skills, making them more employable after release and less likely to end up back in prison.

Now, the agency that trains the inmate tutors is seeking help to make an even bigger impact throughout the state.

Michael Schuette is director of Poverty Services, an agency of Catholic Charities of Southern Illinois. He says the program, called SOARING Inmates Helping Inmates, doesn’t just benefit the inmates themselves, but helps the larger society, and could even ease state budget problems.

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The program is the end result of decades of attempts to solve literacy problems among the state’s inmates. Studies show that 70 percent of Illinois’ inmates have reading difficulties, which is just one more strike against them when they attempt to find jobs after being released.

Since the 1970s, groups have tried to go into prisons to teach inmates how to read – Schuette was actually among those volunteers. But he says they had limited success. “Maybe one out of five improved,” he says.

Other programs during the 1990s and early 2000s did better. But those programs were cut as a result of Illinois’ budget woes. And that led to increased recidivism.

Twelve years ago, Schuette says, his organization came up with a new concept: Enlisting other inmates as the tutors.

“We thought, if 70 percent of inmates are reading impaired, that means 30 percent can read. Why not teach the best of those 30 percent to be tutors?”  READ MORE >>

Inside The Library: Books Donated To Jefferson County Jail
HngNews: 1.03.2019 by Jill Fuller

Each July and December, hundreds of new textbooks, novels, movies, and more are sorted and packed into cardboard boxes. No, this isn’t Santa’s workshop. The books and materials are donations from the Bridges Library System for use at the Jefferson County Jail. While stacks of Dan Brown novels, GED prep books, and nature documentaries might seem pretty ordinary, these materials change lives through an adult education partnership between the library system, the jail, and the Jefferson County Literacy Council (JCLC).

According to the Department of Justice, “The link between academic failure and delinquency, violence, and crime is welded to reading failure.” The Jefferson County Literacy Council seeks to mitigate this by serving the Jefferson County Jail through adult education programs that provide “individualized career planning and exploration services and help individuals develop a plan for post-secondary education or training upon release,” according to Lynn Forseth, executive director of the JCLC. “Low literacy impacts many other social issues like unemployment, crime, poverty, and health,” Forseth said. Increasing literacy proficiency can lead to an inmates’ ability to find work and higher wages upon release, as well as improvements in confidence, self-esteem, and mental and physical health. Adult education programs and higher rates of literacy also reduce recidivism, which is the tendency of a convicted criminal to reoffend. A *2009 study from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice found that “correctional education improves the chances that inmates who are released from prison will not return.”  READ MORE >>

Jeremy Travis, Feb 4 2011

New 'Parent Lab' Program Aims To Help Kids By Teaching Their Elders
News Gazette: 1.05.2019 by Julie Wurth

Studies show a parent's literacy and education level are huge factors in determining a child's success.

A new "Parent Lab" set to launch in early February is designed to teach parents in north Champaign how to help their children with schoolwork and improve their own literacy in the process.

The free program is offered through Parkland College Adult Education's Project READ program, in conjunction with the Champaign Public Library's Douglass Branch and Champaign Unit 4 schools.

Parents will work with volunteer tutors to become familiar with the skills and content that their kids and grandkids are learning in school, focusing on math and reading.

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Literacy facts
The effects of poor literacy — including high dropout rates and minimum wage jobs — tend to continue from one generation to the next, but family literacy programs can break that cycle, according to the National Coalition for Literacy. The group cites research showing that:

— A mother's reading skill is the greatest determinant of her children's future academic success, outweighing other factors such as neighborhood and family income.
— Children whose parents are involved with them in family literacy activities score 10 points higher on standardized reading tests.
— A single year of parental education has a greater positive impact on the likelihood of a son or daughter attending college than an extra $50,000 in parental income.  READ MORE >>

Literacy Volunteers of Bangor Marks Record-Setting Year, Looking For Volunteers
WABI: 1.06.2019 by Catherine

A local organization that teaches literacy skills helped more people than ever improve their lives last year.

This year Literacy Volunteers of Bangor is marking 50 years in the community. The organization is coming off a record setting year in 2018.

Last year, Literacy Volunteers served 324 adult students, an increase of 23 percent more than the year before. Nearly 300 people also volunteered 17,000 hours throughout the year.  WATCH 03:38


Saturday, January 26, 2019

Wash And Learn: Laundromats And Libraries Are Fighting 'Book Deserts' via Newsy


Wash And Learn: Laundromats And Libraries Are Fighting 'Book Deserts'
Newsy: 1.25.2019 by Jamal Andress

In the Bronx, Detroit, Chicago and other cities, libraries are partnering with laundromats to provide books to low-income and low-literacy areas.

Laundry is a necessary chore — one that’s especially boring for kids who tag along to a laundromat every week. But now, a bi-weekly pop-up reading program from the Chicago Public Library is putting an educational spin on family trips to the laundromat. So, why combine books and laundromats? Well, turns out, there are several reasons. 

"We really were thinking, where can we meet the community where they're at? Like, where's the need?" Becca Ruidl from the Chicago Public Library said. 

"For one, people are stuck there. And they're stuck there for a while. Another aspect is that people often return to the same laundromat every week. So it's a really unique way of reaching families over the long term in a sustained way," said Adam Echelman, Executive Director of Libraries Without Borders

"Oftentimes, these laundromat locations are also sort of in a book desert type area and if you look at it, statistically, the families that are patronizing the laundromats there's a very low ownership rate for books, particularly kids books," Brian Wallace from the Laundry Cares Foundation said.

Book deserts” are often in low-income areas, where access to books is limited and literacy rates are below average.  WATCH 03:04


Friday, January 25, 2019

Canadian Families Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Family Literacy Day

Canadian Families Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Family Literacy Day
News Wire: 1.24.2019 by ABC Life Literacy Canada

How will you celebrate Family Literacy Day on January 27?


That's the question ABC Life Literacy Canada (ABC) has been asking families, community organizations, schools, libraries, and learning centres coast-to-coast-to-coast in the lead up to the 20th Anniversary of this annual event.

To celebrate this milestone and encourage reading and engaging in other literacy-related activities as a family, ABC has been actively promoting this year's theme to "Take 20" minutes to make learning together part of your everyday.

"Spending at least 20 minutes together daily as a family and being engaged in simple and fun activities can make a world of difference when it comes to increasing learning and overall literacy skills," said ABC Life Literacy Canada Executive Director Mack Rogers. "We know that most families live busy and complex lives, but taking time to read, play board games, or prepare meals together can have long-lasting benefits for children and adults alike."

This sentiment is echoed by Barbara Reid, award-winning Canadian author and plasticine illustrator, who is also The Honourary Chair of Family Literacy Day.

"It is no secret that families that learn together, grow together," said Reid, who generously contributed 20 Family Literacy Day themed plasticine illustrations for the 20th anniversary. "There are many free learning resources available at home and throughout local communities. A little imagination can go a long way!"  READ MORE >>


Thursday, January 24, 2019

ALA, Dollar General Literacy Foundation Announce 2019 American Dream Literacy Grants


ALA, Dollar General Literacy Foundation Announce 2019 American Dream Literacy Grants
ALA: January 2019

The American Library Association (ALA)  is pleased to announce the recipients of the seventh round of the American Dream Literacy Initiative grant, generously funded by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation.

The American Dream Literacy initiative is a year-long program that delivers services and serves thousands of English language learners in a warm and welcoming environment. In 2019, 16 U.S. public libraries were selected through a competitive application process.

To date, more than 200 public libraries have initiated or expanded literacy services for adult English language learners. American Dream libraries offer computer access and training, job readiness programs, and ELL, GED and citizenship classes.

As part of the initiative, American Dream libraries build replicable programs, develop coalition-building strategies and provide annotated lists of vetted resources for libraries across the country. Much of the program’s success relies on outreach to new immigrant populations, and requires public libraries to build strong partnerships while leveraging additional resources received through these collaborative efforts.

The American Dream Literacy Initiative is administered by ALA's Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services (ODLOS) and Public Programs Office (PPO).

The 2019 American Dream Libraries are:
Alachua County Library District, Gainesville, Florida
Atlantic City Free Public Library, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Blanchard Community Library, Santa Paula, California
Blount County Public Library, Maryville, Tennessee
Delta County Public Libraries, Hotchkiss, Colorado
Fryeburg Public Library, Fryeburg, Maine
Gila Bend Library, Gila Bend, Arizona
Greenwood County Library, Greenwood, South Carolina
Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City, Missouri
La Vista Public Library, La Vista, Nebraska
Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library, Christiansburg, Virginia
Socastee Library, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina