Pomona Library - Pomona trivia bee has a vital purpose

Pomona trivia bee has a vital purpose
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin: 10.10.08 by Suzanne Sproul

For the past 18 years, the Pomona Public Library has hosted a trivia bee to raise money to help people learn to read.

Supporters are putting together teams to do battle in the annual upcoming event. The fundraiser is the brainchild of Muriel Spill, the library services manager, who said she borrowed the idea from a Redwood City library. It has been a fun and successful way to raise money to support the library's adult literacy program and to keep literacy in the public eye.

The fun is set for Nov. 6, at Hinds Pavilion at Fairplex in Pomona. It will begin at 5 p.m. with dinner followed by the high school competition at 6 p.m. Two adult contest rounds will follow, culminating in a championship round finishing off the evening.

Sponsorships are $300 for each three-member team. Teams are being formed now. A $10 donation is asked for those who simply want to enjoy dinner and root on their favorites without having to tackle the trivia.

"It's become very successful for us and very competitive. Teams know which ones are tough and plan accordingly, and they really want to win," Spill said.

This year the trivia bee is loosely tied to the library's and city's participation in the Big Read program, encouraging residents to read the same book. This year the book is Harper Lee's "To Kill A Mockingbird." Spill isn't giving any hints out, but she did say if you've read the book you might have a bit of an advantage in the contest.

For information about the trivia bee or volunteering for the literacy program, call (909) 620-2047 or (909) 620-2473. READ MORE

Palmdale Library - Literacy Tutors Sought

Literacy Tutors Sought
Volunteer training set for Saturday
Antelope Valley Press: 9.09.08 By Kim Rawley

Larry Evans was 49 years old and functionally illiterate when he arrived at the Palmdale Literacy Program with a yearning to read books. Today, at 52, he is a tutor with the same program and a college student. Oh, and an avid book reader. When asked his favorites, Evans says, "I like all books. I haven't read a bad book.

"But then, I haven't been reading long enough to distinguish a good book from a bad book," he said with a laugh.

The retired carpenter and Palmdale resident may be a stellar example of the literacy program's success, but he is not the only one. There are about 95 learners in the program right now, and new tutors are always needed. A new class begins Saturday.

According to the program's coordinator, Rod Williams, even with roughly 60 tutors it still takes learners between two to six weeks to get started with one-on-one tutoring, although they can begin the process with an assessment and participate in small-group workshops.

Evans arrived at the Palmdale Literacy Program reading at a roughly third-grade level, even though he had graduated from high school. "I played football, so they just scooted me right on through."

"The literacy program broke the language down to be so understandable," Evans said.

According to Evans, you don't have to have teaching experience to be a tutor, just empathy.

"A good tutor is someone who will listen to students to get an understanding of their level."

It takes a lot of talking and listening for tutors to get a sense of what learners already know.


As well as becoming a literacy advocate, Williams said Evans "has been working with New Beginning Outreach and the city of Palmdale's Neighborhood House, creating and facilitating a vocational training program aimed at helping to teach prevocational skills (such as how to dress for an interview, interview tips and general expectations of the workplace) and providing job leads to those who successfully complete the course."

"The class is structured to remind the students that in order for people to want to write a check to you, you have to be productive every day," Evans said.

He sees his community work as a way to honor the volunteers who helped him achieve literacy.

Literacy training is a free service for English-speaking adults. All tutoring is done by volunteers, who need to be able to commit to a six-hour training session and two to three hours a week.
For details, call (661) 267-5682. READ MORE

Oakland Public Library Literacy / Follow-Up

Save Second Start !

What Measure Q ?
More broken promises from the City of Oakland.
from abetteroakland.com: 10.02.08 by V. Smoothe

. . . At least, I could see myself supporting the elimination of the Library’s literacy programs in these tough times If the people of Oakland hadn’t voted specifically to tax themselves to pay for it only four years ago! I’m sorry, but this is just completely unacceptable.

Measure Q, which pays for the bulk of the library’s literacy programs, was passed in 2004 with an overwhelming 77.2% of the vote. Sixty-two thousand Oakland residents stepped into a voting booth and checked “I want to pay $75 dollars every year for the next thirty years to support library services.”

And what is written there, clear as day, under the “Use of Proceeds” section of the measure (PDF)? “To expand library-based programs in support of literacy, lifelong learning, and information technology.” See? It says expand, not eliminate!

Library Director Carmen Martinez and then-Mayor Jerry Brown signed a very straightforward ballot argument in favor the tax, promising that Measure Q will “Maintain literacy programs that teach Oakland residents to read.” And people said “Yes, I will pay for that. Send me the bill.”

End of story. Seriously, what else is there to discuss? As long as they keep collecting Measure Q dollars (that would be until 2024, FYI), any talk of eliminating the library’s literacy programs should be completely off the table. The City cannot keep breaking promises about how they’re going to spend the taxpayer’s money! Why, why, why should I, or anyone else, ever vote for another tax in this City again when we cannot trust them to spend the money as promised?

Second Start isn’t the only unconscionable cut in the Mayor’s proposed budget, and hey - it isn’t even the only one to library services. The Mayor also proposes to save us $120,000 by eliminating the Bookmobile. READ MORE

Oakland Library Literacy - Please Help Save Second Start !

Please Help Save Second Start !
Dear Friends:

Second Start is about to be eliminated.

We need your help IMMEDIATELY if we are to survive.

As I'm sure you know from reading the paper, Oakland is facing huge deficits. All departments have been told to make cuts. The Library has chosen to make its cuts by, among other things, eliminating Second Start, along with our entire department of Access Services, which includes the Bookmobile and Services for the Disabled and Elderly - all the neediest people who can't get to, or use, the library without help.

We're told that City Council has to approve these cuts, so we're fighting this and literally taking it to City Hall in hopes that the program can be saved.

I'm asking all of Second Start's friends - all the programs, entities and people who know us and have worked with us - to write a letter in our support. Please take a moment to put in writing some of the things that you have come to learn about our work over the past years. You have seen us in action, you know what we do - please tell the Oakland City Council that Second Start needs to remain part of Oakland. There is no other city organization that will take our place if Second Start is disbanded !