Thursday, July 14, 2016

How Big Is Your Vocabulary? :: Today in Critical Linking
BookRiot: 7.13.2016 by Jeff O’Neal

Ever wonder about your vocabulary size? Even if you are a daily English speaker or a native English speaker, you still might find this test challenging! We conducted academic research and looked at online resources to design the model of this quiz. We believe we’ve prepared the best quiz for you!

How big is your vocabulary? This quiz says it can tell you. (@A Real Me )


Monday, July 11, 2016

Newport Beach Library :: Gift of Literacy Luncheon

Gift of Literacy Luncheon
6.15.2016

Great time at the Gift of Literacy luncheon.
Check out the happy faces.
Thank you Gregg Hurwitz for helping to make this day so successful.


The 9th annual Gift of Literacy luncheon with Gregg Hurwitz was a HUGE success.

Thanks to all who helped make the day special; The amazing committee, Gregg Hurwitz, who regaled all with such wonderful stories, the many local businesses who supported the cause and all who attended in support of Literacy Services.

The learners are the true winners by knowing there is such community support working for their success.

Saturday, July 9, 2016

#onemillionreaders | CLA | Summer Reading | Adult Learners | Children | Teenagers | Literacy

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Superlatives from SCLLN

Our Commission Chair Robert Weisenmiller is jumping in on the #ReadingChallenge!

Finished another book. Must be the leader, right? #readingchallenge #onemillionreaders


Chief Service Officer Karen Baker just finished reading the boook
“One Thousand White Women"!


#onemillionreaders challenge.


California Library Association aims for 1 million readers this summer! http://buff.ly/1YsibwZ


CABoard of Education Retweeted CA State Library
Read a good book lately?
@CAStateLibrary wants to know about it!
Join the #onemillionreaders challenge @CADeptEd


during the California Summer Reading Challenge: http://calchallenge.org/ 


CA's 1,100 libraries are doing the Summer Reading Challenge.
Want a million readers thru 8/31. http://calchallenge.org/ 

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

CLA Summer Reading Challenge :: #OneMillionReaders

One Million Readers


Children, teens and adults, are you up for a challenge?

Please join CLA’s One Million Readers summer challenge again this year, and engage even more community members with your summer programs!

In 2015, participation in California’s summer reading and learning programs increased by 8%. CLA is asking public libraries to conduct outreach and create partnerships to increase participation again this year.

Public library summer reading and learning programs:
· foster communities of readers and library users
· help prevent summer learning loss in children and teens,
· are entry points for community members to learn about the library’s resources, and
· help adults model good reading habits for youth.

The more people who take part in summer reading, the greater impact our programs will have.

Will you accept the #OneMillionReaders challenge? Sign up now!
- Over 790,000 Californians signed up for a public library summer reading program during 2015.
- Over 1.4 million Californians attended summer reading events and activities.
- Over 116,000 children and teens read at least five books during the summer reading program.

Children, teens and adults who take part in summer reading talk about the books they read:
76% of children | 68% of teens | 80% of adults

They enjoy the summer reading program.
90% of children | 84% of teens | 86% of adults

And they plan to return to the library after the summer.
86% of children | 83% of teens | 91% of adults

Children who read, succeed! And California’s summer readers and library users return to school ready to learn!

Participating Libraries 2016
We ask participating public libraries to commit to conducting outreach and creating partnerships to increase their summer reading participation this year! 

Are you in? Sign up now!

Thank you to our 2016 participating libraries:
Alameda County LibraryAlhambra Civic Center LibraryAmador County LibraryAnaheim Public LibraryArcadia Public LibraryBuena Park Library District, Burbank Public Library, Butte County LibraryCalifornia State LibraryCanyon Lake Branch Library – Riverside County Library System, City of Commerce Public LibraryCovina Public LibraryDel Norte County Library District, Desert Hot Springs Public LibraryEl Dorado County Library, Escondido Public LibraryFolsom Public LibraryFullerton Public LibraryGrace Mellman Community Library – Riverside County Library SystemHarrison Memorial Library, Hayward Public LibraryHumboldt County LibraryHuntington Beach Public Library, Idyllwild Library – Riverside County Library SystemInglewood Public Library, Inyo County Free LibraryIrvine Unified School District – Stonegate ElementaryKern County Library, Lemoore Public Library – Kings County LibraryLompoc Public LibraryLong Beach Public LibraryLos Angeles Public LibraryMendocino County LibraryMono County Free Library SystemMonrovia Public LibraryMonterey County Free LibrariesMonterey Park Bruggemeyer LibraryMoreno Valley Public Library, Mountain View Public LibraryMt. Shasta LibraryMurrieta Public LibraryNevada County LibraryOC Public LibrariesOceanside Public LibraryOntario City Library, Oxnard Public Library, Palmdale City LibraryPasadena Public LibraryPaso Robles City LibraryPlacentia Library District, Plumas County LibraryRancho Cucamonga Public Library, Rancho Mirage Public LibraryRiverside Public LibrarySacramento Public Library, San Diego County LibrarySan Luis Obispo County LibrarySan Rafael Public LibrarySanta Barbara Public LibrarySanta Clara City LibrarySanta Clara County Library DistrictSanta Clarita Public Library, Santa Cruz Public LibrariesSanta Maria Public LibraryShasta Public LibrariesSolano County LibrarySonoma County LibrarySouth San Francisco Public LibrarySunnyvale Public LibraryThousand Oaks Public LibraryTulare County LibraryVentura County LibraryVilla Park Library – OC Public LibrariesWildomar Library – Riverside County Library SystemYolo County LibraryYorba Linda Public Library



Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Governor Signs 2016-17 Budget and “Trailer Bill” :: Contains $4.8 Million in New Funding for CSLA

Governor Signs 2016-17 Budget and “Trailer Bill”:
Contains $4.8 Million in New Funding for CSLA
News From the Capitol: 6.30.2016 by Mike Dillon and Christina DiCaro, CLA Lobbyists

Monday afternoon Governor Jerry Brown signed into law the 2016-17 State Budget and corresponding Budget “trailer bills,” both of which contain new funding for the California Library Services Act.  The Governor issued a press release after signing the Budget bill, SB 826-Leno stating, “This solid budget makes responsible investments in California and sets aside billions of dollars to prepare for the next recession.”  Due to very collaborative negotiations between the legislature and the Governor, when the Governor signed the Budget bill he did not “blue pencil” or make targeted reductions to any of the programs in SB 826.

SB 826:  the 2016-17 Budget Bill
This measure contains $1.8 million in new, ongoing funding for the California Library Services Act.  This amount is added to the current baseline funding in the Act, which stands at $1.8 million -- for a new total of $3.6 million.  This funding continues to restore some of the cuts made to this program during the recent Recession.

SB 1602-Committee on Budget:  “Trailer bill” pertaining to Higher Education
This measure is approximately 90 pages in length and contains numerous provisions related to higher education and other matters, such as the State Library.  Specifically, SB 1602 includes the Governor’s proposal to provide $3 million in “one time funding” (meaning that it must be spent during the 2016-17 Budget year) to encourage the Systems within the California Library Services Act to participate in, or develop innovative programs for, digital delivery and resource sharing.  Throughout the Budget process, CLA strongly supported the Governor’s proposal relative to the $3 million, as well as the $1.8 million mentioned above.  We were pleased when both the Assembly and the Senate Budget Subcommittees adopted the proposals by unanimous votes.  READ MORE @

Sunday, July 3, 2016

Altadena Library :: Bob Lucas Memorial Branch Summer Reading Opportunities

Bob Lucas Memorial Branch
Summer Reading Opportunities
Connect: June 2016 Altadena Library, From the Director

Summer is shining its rays upon us and we welcome patrons of all ages to join our summer reading program. Last year, due to popular demand, the summer reading program for adults was brought back for the second year in a row. At the Branch we had 19 adults sign up for the summer reading program and half the adults that signed up were our adult literacy students! Many of our literacy students strive to improve their reading skills and the summer reading program is a great opportunity to do so and win prizes at the same time. Many of our literacy students are learning English and take this opportunity to try out reading an English book. Otherwise, they can also participate by reading a book in their own native language.  That counts too!

Also just in time for the summer, we are implementing an interactive online learning program called Reading Horizons. Reading Horizons gives our learners the opportunity to cover 68 interactive lessons, common word lessons, vocabulary, and 280 reading passages to practice reading fluency and comprehension, along with skill-based games. Tutors and our staff can also monitor the progress of the learners with this system.

Reading Horizons is something that can be used by many of our beginning adult learners to address specific literacy needs. For example, our ESL class can use the phonics decoding method from Reading Horizon to breakdown the sounds, spelling and reading of a word. Another example is that a learner working with a tutor can use the comprehension reading exercises for more advanced reading skills.

If you’re an adult or know an adult who is interested in learning to read and improve their English with our new Reading Horizons tools, let us know and we’ll be happy to help. Please contact us at: literacy@altadenalibrary.org or 626-798-8338.

Saturday, July 2, 2016

Poverty & Literacy: Books | Children | Women

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Superlatives from SCLLN

#PovertyChat at 8 for a guided discussion about #AdultLiteracy











@ahaprocess 28 Jun 2016


Owning books creates brighter futures





@RIFWEB  27 Jun 2016



43% of adults with low literacy live in poverty.
Take the pledge to improve lives through #literacy!




@ProLitWorld  22 Jun 2016


Are #literacy levels tied to low #income?
How to we improve our society by just improving our #English literacy.

@thelittutor 4 Jun 2016


Literacy matters!
There's a strong co-relation between #literacy and #poverty:

@Love4Literacy 18 Apr 2016


#Literacy is one of the keys
to unlocking the solution to poverty.








@engagethechurch 17 Mar 2016