Azusa Library :: American Dream Starts @ Your Library

The American Dream Starts @ Your Library

Literacy Update, Azusa Library: Jan/Feb 2015

. . . at the Azusa City Library, to be exact.  The American Library Association and Dollar General Literacy Foundation awarded a 2014 American Dream Starts @ Your Library grant to the Azusa City Library. This national program helps immigrants to learn English to continue their education, help their children in school, get better jobs and become American citizens.

The award will help to expand tutoring for Spanish-speaking adults who are not literate in their native language. According to the American Community Survey 2009-2011, 11.6 percent of adult Spanish-speaking immigrants in Los Angeles County cannot read or write in any language, creating a barrier to learning English.  The Institute for Work and the Economy’s 2006 report, The Integration of Immigrants in the Workplace, states that an estimated 32 percent of adults enrolled in ESL (English as a Second Language) classes lack basic literacy skills in their native language, making them "slower in learning a second language than their literate counterparts."

Through the library’s partnership with Centro Latino for Literacy, the dedication of Leamos (Let’s Read) volunteer Monica Mejia, and with support from the American Dream grant, adults will be able to gain basic literacy skills in Spanish in approximately 150 hours of study. They can then successfully transition into English classes and find themselves well on their way to achieving their American Dream.

If you know a Spanish speaker who needs to improve their skills, call Cathay Reta at the literacy office:  626-812-5266.

Azusa Library :: Grassroots ESL Presented at State Conference

Grassroots ESL Presented at State Conference

Azusa Library

Literacy Update: Nov/Dec 2014

City Librarian Reed Strege and Adult Literacy Coordinator Cathay Reta traveled to Oakland, California to present a session on Azusa’s Grassroots ESL Program at the 2014 California Library Association Conference on November 8.  The session was well-received by approximately 40 library professionals who are interested in meeting the English needs of English Language Learners in their communities.  Attendees were especially interested in the unique community partnership model developed by Grassroots ESL. A few people have already followed up with requests for more information about it.

Another highlight of the presentation was the snapshot of student statistics from the first full year.  From October 2013 to October 2014, 130 students received 3064 hours of instruction from 28 volunteer tutors.  Since the program seeks to not only teach English to non-English speakers, but to also encourage them to practice English outside of tutoring sessions, we also collected information from students regarding how many English-speaking people they know and how often they speak English, along with their education levels and number of years living in the United States.

For more information on our Grassroots ESL Program, visit our YouTube page.

Literacy :: Library Jobs - California: Azusa, Bay Area, Livermore, Sacramento

Literacy Jobs - California

Adult Literacy Coordinator – PT

Redlands Library

plans, implements, coordinates and evaluates the Redlands Adult Literacy Program.  Recruits, trains and maintains and grows a robust volunteer base to assist adults, 18 years and older, improve their reading and writing skills in English
DEADLINE: September 15

Literacy Program Assistant – PT

Azusa Library

assists program coordinator in day-to-day activities related to recruitment, retention, and record keeping requirements of literacy tutors and students, and other program volunteers

DEADLINE: September 4 (or 100 applications)

Youth Services Librarian - FT

Sacramento Public Library

passionate about literacy and community partnerships, understand that early literacy is critical to building healthy communities

DEADLINE: September 4

Literacy Coordinator – PT

Livermore Library

Administrative Technician recruitment; Mark supplemental questionnaire “Literacy Program” position

Recruits, interviews, trains, and evaluates learners, tutors, and other supporting volunteers

DEADLINE:  September 12

826 Valencia Program Development :: AmeriCorps VIP Fellow – FT

826 Valencia – Bay Area

thoughtful and deliberate out-of-school time programming in four main areas: Cultural and Academic Literacy (CAL), Health & Wellness, STEM and P.L.A.Y. These efforts will ultimately have a positive impact on overall student success by using levels of engagement and student attendance as key indicators.

DEADLINE:

Other Literacy Related Jobs

Azusa Library - Literacy Showcase September 2

Literacy Showcase

Azusa Library

September 2, 5:45 PM – 7:30 PM

then on to the Civic Auditorium

for a proclamation by the Azusa City Council at 6:30

30th Anniversary - California Library Literacy Services

Ticket Phone: 866.967.3281

Azusa Library

729 N.Dalton Ave. Azusa

Literacy Jobs: California :: Azusa :: Santa Clara Co

Literacy Jobs: California

Literacy Program Specialist – FT

Santa Clara County Library

coordinate, implement, monitor, and evaluate learner and volunteer tutor services including one-on-one, small-group and one-time learning opportunities.

DEADLINE: July 23

Citizenship Specialist - PT

Azusa City Library

dynamic and experienced Citizenship Specialist to teach citizenship classes and train volunteer coaches to help adults successfully prepare for naturalization tests.

DEADLINE: July 31

Azusa Library :: Scrabble FUNraiser - Literacy: May 22

2nd Annual Azusa Scrabble Night

Adult Literacy Services – Azusa Library

May 22

Ticket price includes:  Dinner, 3 rounds of play and a raffle ticket.

Cash prizes awarded to top three contestants.

Tickets available at the Azusa City Library, City Hall & Chamber of Commerce and online or call (626) 334-1507. Additional raffle tickets can be purchased at the event.

Azusa Library

729 N. Dalton Ave.

Azusa, CA 91702

$15 in advance $20 at the door

6 pm - 9pm

SCLLN Literacy Videos @ Pinterest

Southern California Library Literacy Network

Literacy Videos

of Adult Learners and Tutors

have been pinned on

Pinterest

Azusa City Library
Carlsbad City Library
Centro Latino for Literacy
Chula Vista Library
Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library
Newport Beach Library
Rancho Cucamonga Library
A K Smiley Redlands Library
San Diego County Library

Videos of Learner Stories and Tutor Stories can also be seen at

California Library Literacy Services

National Education and Family Literacy Week - Part 2

National Education and Family Literacy Week
September 23 - 29

Raises public awareness of adult education and family literacy, assists adult learners in need of literacy services, leverages local resources, and supports increased access to adult education and family literacy programs. Use opportunity to elevate adult education and family literacy nationwide with policymakers, the media, and the community.

#AEFLWeek Twitter Fact Fest

Follow @NCLAdvocacy and #AEFLWeek
Tweet facts about adult education and family literacy. Raise awareness of adult education and family literacy. Share what you are doing to raise awareness and:

ReTweet !

Some SCLLN Facts - watch for more !

Azusa City Library Literacy
Violence, Crime and Literacy: What’s the Connection?  Did you know that —

60% of America’s inmates read below a fourth-grade reading level
   (U.S. Department of Education)
70% is the recidivism rate for inmates who do not receive literacy help in prison — but if inmates do receive literacy help while incarcerated, their rate of returning to prison drops to 16%
   (Penal Institution Records)
85% of all juvenile offenders have reading problems
   (U.S. Department of Education)
2/3 of students who cannot read proficiently by the end of 4th grade will end up in jail or on welfare
    (One World Literacy Foundation)

Centro Latino for Literacy

congratulates 129 newly literate adults at their 7th Annual Manos Amigas/Helping Hands Celebration.

Corona Library

  Zickefoose was functionally illiterate, unable to read a prescription label, his children's report cards or a menu. He was diagnosed as a young boy with dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and didn't learn to read and write until he was 35.
  That's when everything changed. He became a poster boy for the Corona library's adult reading program, began to speak publicly about his own struggles and was named the library's literacy director. He founded a nonprofit youth organization.
  And on Dec. 7, Zickefoose, 52, was sworn in as a member of the Corona-Norco Unified School District Board of Education.

National Education and Family Literacy Week: Sep 23- 29

National Education and Family Literacy Week
September 23 - 29

Raises public awareness of adult education and family literacy, assists adult learners in need of literacy services, leverages local resources, and supports increased access to adult education and family literacy programs. Use opportunity to elevate adult education and family literacy nationwide with policymakers, the media, and the community.

#AEFLWeek Twitter Fact Fest

Follow @NCLAdvocacy and #AEFLWeek

Tweet facts about adult education and family literacy. Raise awareness of adult education and family literacy. Share what you are doing to raise awareness and:

ReTweet !

Some SCLLN Facts - watch for more !
Let’s Read, Altadena! was chosen to participate in a pilot project called Fam-Track which developed into the wonderful literacy program Families For Literacy (FFL). The FFL program worked with the entire family to enhance reading, writing and comprehension skills.

Azusa City Library Literacy

Health Literacy Learning is a program of the Azusa City Library, in collaboration with the Azusa Neighborhood Wellness Center and the Azusa Pacific University Department of TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages). Based on the belief that literacy is not an end in itself, but rather a catalyst to transform lives.
• In one California study, 65% of participants with low reading skills reported they avoid going to the doctor because of difficulties with paperwork; 75% of medical professionals said they were aware of medical errors that were the product of low literacy.

SCLLN Newsletters

SCLLN Member Newsletters

Summer 2013

Highlights from this summer's newsletters. Watch for More !

Altadena - Let's Read

Inspiring History ­ Exciting Future

Looking back through the years the Bob Lucas Branch and Let’s Read, Altadena! have an inspiring history. After being closed for many years the Altadena Library Branch, formerly named the Arroyo Branch, was re­opened in October 1991 with a grand celebration featuring former Lakers player Michael Cooper as the Guest Speaker. Since that grand reopening many wonderful activities and programs have been presented. Credit must be given to the late Winnie Ragsdale for her leadership in getting the Literacy Program started.

Azusa - Literacy Update

Grassroots ESL Growing in Azusa

Question: What do the Azusa City Library, Lee Elementary School, Dalton Elementary School, Neighborhood Homework House, Azusa Hispanic Foursquare Church, Canyon Christian Fellowship and Foothill Family Service have in common?

Answer: They are all partners in Azusa’s new GrassRoots ESL program!

Carlsbad - Learning Connection

Adult Learner Leadership Institute

The Adult Learner Leadership Institute was held on May 3 through 5 at the Cole Library. Fifteen learners attended from 6 Southern California libraries, with six learners from Carlsbad. Participants attended workshops on leadership, networking, and self-esteem. The learners also gained valuable public speaking skills. The learners’ speeches on the final day of the Institute were the highlight of the weekend’s activities. According to one learner, “I now find my-self very confident to speak in front of people due to the Institute. That is why I liked it a lot.”

Centro Latino for Literacy - NCLR Workforce Development Forum

NCLR Workforce Development Forum
October 2 – 3
Los Angeles

Centro Latino for Literacy will present a “Workplace & Adult Literacy” workshop at the 3rd Annual NCLR Workforce Development Forum. For the past 2 years the National Council of La Raza has convened over 400 workforce development professionals from nonprofits, WIBs, community colleges, employers, foundation and public agencies to discuss programs and policies that strengthen the Latino workforce.

Workplace and Adult Literacy
Aida Cardenas, Executive Director, Building Skills Partnership
Paul Garza Jr., Board Chair, Centro Latino for Literacy
Cathay Reta, Adult Literacy Coordinator, Azusa Library
Mari Riddle, President and CEO, Centro Latino for Literacy

Over 1.6 million Latino adults in the U.S., mostly women, are functionally non‐literate in either Spanish or English. In L.A. County, 11% of adult Spanish-speaking immigrants are non‐literate. At this workshop, you will learn about an innovative pre‐ESL literacy solution that transforms lives, as well as the critical role that literacy plays in empowering the Latino workforce, family, and community.

Azusa Library - Promotes Literacy For All Ages

Azusa City Library promotes literacy for all agesAzusa Pacific Univ-The Clause: 2.15.2012 by Annie Yu

Literacy skills are developed from a young age, and a child that has access to plentiful books will often continue to develop his or her reading skills well into adulthood. However, many kids have limited access to a library. Enter the Bookmobile, Azusa City Library’s very own customized Dodge van.

The colorfully decorated van has steps, a ramp, a pull out canopy for shade and a generator for air conditioning. The Bookmobile is handled by a two-person team, providing library cards as well as book checkouts. Occasionally, the Bookmobile also has story time and crafts for the kids.

There are 10 different locations around Azusa that the Bookmobile visits: one preschool, four elementary schools, one junior high school, one high school, one adult school and two senior citizen centers. The students are free to walk into the Bookmobile to browse and to lounge on the chairs or cushions often set up outside.

Adult Literacy Services: Helping adults in reading and writing
Over 30 million adults in the U.S. lack the basic literacy skills it takes to read and fully comprehend this sentence. According to the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), these adults are placed in the “below basic” category, with “no more than the most simple and concrete literacy skills.”

The NAAL shows that while a shocking 14 percent of the national population cannot read the newspaper or follow directions on a bottle of painkillers, the percentage is overshadowed by the 23 percent of Californian adults and the 33 percent of L.A. County adults who lack these basic literacy skills.

The Azusa City Library offers a free literacy program, Adult Literacy Services, to help struggling adults improve their basic reading and writing skills, as well as simple math skills. The program is a part of the California Library Literacy Services, which started in 1984 to improve literacy among Californian adults. The Azusa chapter of the program was shut down for several years due to funding cuts, but they were able to reopen last April. They currently have around a dozen students, with a few more on the waiting list. READ MORE !