9 Reasons to Save Public Libraries

Nine Reasons to Save Public Libraries
ivn.com: 8.08.2012 by Emmily Bristol (Education, Headline, Issues)

While the War on Women and Chick-fil-A might be getting all the juicy headlines lately, there’s another issue quietly smoldering in the background noise of this election season. It’s buried under all the campaign rhetoric and doom-and-gloom forecasts about the economy.

Our public libraries are not just threatened this election season. They’re fighting for their lives — and with them, the livelihoods and well-being of hard-hit communities all over the country. Library districts in California, Illinois, Ohio, Nevada, Texas, Washington, and more have measures or proposals to slash budgets in 2012. California alone is looking at 50% budget cuts. Where I live, the library district is facing a 30% budget cut, which will close at least two branches. According to the American Library Association, 23 states are looking to cut library budgets in the most recent fiscal year.

But I have yet to see a demonstration to save the libraries. Or read national news coverage about the potential collapse of one society’s most valuable resources. Indeed, it wasn’t by accident that our nation’s founding fathers established the first American lending library.

But the truth is that the state of our public libraries is a kind of litmus test of not only our economic health but that of our democracy, too. After all, libraries are the free, democratization of education, unbiased research, and uncensored enlightenment.

.     .    .    .    .

Here are some reasons why our libraries are still the place where we as a nation will achieve our destiny:
1. The house of the 99% . . .
2. Libraries build equity . . .
3. Community hope chest . . .
4. Renewable resource . . .
5. Literacy . . .
6. Leveling the playing field . . .
7. Safe space . . .
8. Cultural touchstone . . .
9. Drop in or drop out: Libraries can also be a place that means the difference between a child’s success or failure in school. Many libraries offer tutoring programs, free classes, as well as access to volumes of information and technology that a kid might not have anywhere else.

.    .    .    .    .

Doesn’t that seem like a space too valuable to lose?  READ IT !

I Love My Librarian Award: 2012

I Love My Librarian Award: 2012

Nominate your favorite librarian in your favorite library !

Deadline: September 12.

The award is administered by the American Library Association with support from Carnegie Corporation of New York and The New York Times.

10 librarians each will receive a $5,000 cash award, a plaque and $500 travel stipend to attend an awards reception in New York. In addition, a plaque will be given to each award winner’s library.

Recognize the accomplishments of your exceptional public, school, college, community college, or university librarian.

Nominate your school librarian
Nominate your public librarian
Nominate your college, community college or university librarian

Read about the Award and the winners from 2011 - 2008.

Literacy & Library Funding: Federal Budget FY2013

Congress is Working on the New Federal 2013 Budget

ACT NOW – Write your Representatives and ask them to support funding for Literacy and Libraries in the FY2013 budget.

The Senate appropriated $28.6 million for literacy. A minimum of half, or $14.3 million must go to low income school libraries while the rest of the money will go toward national not-for-profits that work for childhood literacy. The U.S. Department of Education has named this program Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL). Grant applications are available now. The House eliminated funding for the IAL program.

The budget also appropriates money for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) which includes $185 million for LSTA funding. Under LSTA; Grants to States was appropriated at $156.6 million, Native American Library Services was funded at $3.8 million, National Leadership for Libraries was funded at $11.9 million, and the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian was received $12.5 million in FY ‘12.

The 2012 federal fiscal year will end on September 30, 2012.
Library & Literacy Funding Chart: FY 2013 (ALA)

Innovative Approaches to Literacy IAL
From 2002 to 2010, the Improving Literacy through School Libraries program had been the primary source for federal funding of school libraries. However, in recent years the President and U.S. Congress have consolidated or zero-funded this program. It is intended to support innovative programs that promote early literacy for young children, motivate older children to read, and increase student achievement by using school libraries, distributing free books to children and their families, and offering high-quality literacy activities.

The Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA)
The only federal program exclusively for libraries. State libraries use the funds to support statewide initiatives and also distribute the funds through sub-grants or cooperative agreements to public, school, academic, research, and special libraries. There is a requirement for a state match, which helps stimulate about three to four dollars for every federal dollar invested.

Restart the Economy by Stopping Illiteracy

Restart the Economy by Stopping Illiteracy
Huffington Post: 7.27.2012 by Rep. Hansen Clarke

The silver bullet for rebuilding our business climate, reducing crime, and restoring employment is as simple as ABC. It's time for bipartisan action to end the crisis of illiteracy.

If the absence of basic adult reading skills sounds like a problem of the past, consider the statistics: 47 percent of adults in Detroit are, according to a 2011 study by the Detroit Regional Workforce Fund, "functionally illiterate." This means that nearly half of adults lack the reading and writing skills to understand or complete a newspaper article, job advertisement, or bank statement.

This is not only debilitating for individuals and families. It's devastating for our entire region. Without attaining high levels of literacy, we cannot attract and keep high-quality employers that pay good wages. Without ensuring that people have the basic skills they need to succeed in the workplace, we cannot overcome our problems with crime. It should come as no surprise that 56 percent of United States adults in prison or jail in 2008 were deemed to have "very low literacy skills" according to the National Commission on Adult Literacy.

.   .   .   .   .

This month, I teamed up with Republican Congressman Tim Scott, a fellow African-American member of the U.S. House of Representatives, to introduce a bipartisan resolution for action on illiteracy. While we represent different regions, different parties, and different political philosophies, we agree that illiteracy is an urgent crisis, which disproportionately affects the lives of African-American and Hispanic men. We call on the federal government, private businesses, and citizens' groups to work together to reach the goal of reducing illiteracy by 50 percent among minority groups and 25 percent nationally over the next decade. READ MORE !

2012 All-America City Grade Level Reading Awards

2012 All-America City Grade Level Reading Awards

The National Civic League recognizes ten communities each year for outstanding civic accomplishments. To win, each community must demonstrate innovation, inclusiveness, civic engagement, and cross sector collaboration by describing successful efforts to address pressing local challenges.

The award program was founded in 1949 when a newspaper reporter approached the National Civic League (then known as the National Municipal League) with the idea of naming the 10 best governed cities each year. Instead, the league created a program that recognized cities for civic achievements.

The National Civic League is adding its support to national efforts to address a persistent challenge in education: increasing the number of low-income children reading at grade level by the end of third grade.

2012 All-America Cities
Baltimore, Maryland
created a Grade-Level Reading Campaign to achieve three goals by 2020: 1) Average daily attendance of 97 percent for students in grades K-3. 2) More than 80 percent of students reading at grade level by the end of third grade. 3) More than 80 percent of all children fully prepared for kindergarten.
Dubuque, Iowa
coalition plans to connect more 4-year-olds to preschool, expand opportunities for 3-year-olds, and partner with local colleges to provide professional development for teachers, para-educators, and childcare providers. This process will ensure that early learning aligns with the primary grades.
Louisville, Kentucky
Every1Reads initiative: 100% of third graders will be reading on grade level by 2020. In addition, 80% of Jefferson County public school preschoolers will enter kindergarten “ready to learn,” and 90% of the system’s pre-K to third graders will attend school for 95 percent of the school year.
Marshalltown, Iowa
increase the number of children reading proficiently by the end of third grade to 90% by the year 2016. Other goals for 2016 are: 85% of children entering kindergarten will be ready to learn.
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
encourage teen moms to read to their children, creating programs like Third Thursdays – a monthly celebration of literacy.
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence Children and Youth Cabinet (CYC), a cross-sector collaborative of public, private, and nonprofit leadership focused on improving outcomes for all of Providence’s children.
Quad Cities, Iowa and Illinois
create a system of support for existing programs (both within and outside the school districts) that makes it easier to share resources across both district and state boundaries.
Roanoke, Virginia
Star City Reads committee to respond to the area’s core challenges in early education.
San Antonio, Texas
launch a campaign in both English and Spanish to raise awareness about the value of “Talking, Singing, Reading, Writing, and Playing,” the five components of its Every Child Ready to Read initiative.
San Francisco, California
San Francisco United School District, First 5 San Francisco, the Office of Mayor Edwin M. Lee, and the San Francisco Department of Children, Youth & Their Families have come together to develop a plan to double the number of third graders who are reading at grade level by the end of the decade.
Seattle and South King County Cities, Washington
Road Map Project aimed at dramatically improving student achievement from cradle to college and career.
Southern Pines, North Carolina
increasing the number of children enrolled in high quality child care and early childhood education; creating learning opportunities for low-income preschool children not enrolled in formal care; facilitating communication between early care providers and kindergarten teachers; and expanding number of at-risk children who participate in quality inter-session and summer learning programs.
Springfield, Massachusetts
Reading Success by Fourth Grade Campaign: educate parents, guardians, and childcare providers about their role in supporting early literacy and skill development through programs such as Ready! For Kindergarten; and providing more efficient training for teachers of all students in the fourth grade and below to boost early literary skills.
Tahoe/Truckee, California
Reads Campaign first met in fall 2011 to plan how community groups will increase the percentage of students reading at grade level by the end of third grade to 80% by 2020.

Literacy Tribune Newsletter: July 2012

Literacy Tribune: July 2012
The Adult Learner Network Newsletter

United Literacy, a non-profit organization, provides resources and support to adult literacy learners in the United States. Its aim is to make literacy education accessible and worthwhile for adult learners.

Main Story: Getting it off & Keeping it off: First Steps: By Julia Pusztai, MSN RN, Director, The Neighborhood Wellness Center

A History Lesson: The Social Security Act of 1935
On June 8, 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt told Congress that he wanted to start a program for social security.

Member Spotlight: Joe Buford
Learning to read and write has changed everything for Joe Buford, an adult learner of the Nashville Adult Literacy Council.

Technology Watch: LibreOffice for Students and Non-Profits
It is at the top of my list of “must-have” software. It's free. You get a complete office suite

The Literacy Tribune is looking for adult learner writers.
Are you an adult learner ?
Do you want to write ?
Do you want to publish your writing ?

You can write about:
Your road to literacy
Your literacy organization
Literacy resources you like
You can write book reviews, poetry, short stories
You can write articles about health, finance, or technology
You can write just about anything !

Literacy Calendar: July 2012

Literacy Calendar: July 2012

For More

Literacy, Library and Education

Events & Conferences

visit

Southern California Library Literacy Network’s Calendar

July 12+ Conference of the Americas: Riviera Maya, Mexico
July 21:  Autism Sensory Friendly Films: ICE AGE @10am
July 23+ NIOST Summer Seminars: Boston, MA
July 25+ Autism Society National Conference: San Diego, CA
July 25+ Romance Writers of America Conference: Anaheim, CA
July 29+ Correction Education Assn Conference: St. Paul, MN
July 30+ National Comprehensive Literacy Institute: Anaheim, CA
July 31+ Mental Health - Learning Disabilities in Children Plano, TX