BlogAThon - Upland Public Library

Reading for a brighter tomorrow

The Upland Public Library is a site of the West End Literacy League, a joint program between the Rancho Cucamonga and Upland Public Libraries. Since its inception in 1989, the Adult Literacy program has helped over 1,000 English-speaking adults improve their basic reading and writing skills, and the program can help you or someone you know. Adult learners are matched with trained volunteers for free one-to-one tutoring. Instruction is based on the learner's needs and goals.

Adult Literacy Book Club
First Tuesday of the month, 6 p.m.
Starting October 3, 2006
Adult learners discuss books and meet other aspiring readers in their own book club. Each book club member receives a free copy of the book to be discussed. Please check the Library Calendar for specific dates. Grant restrictions limit participation to adult literacy learners and tutors only; please contact the Literacy Office to pre-register, (909) 931-4212.

Ready-Set-Read
As an outreach service, the Upland Literacy Program coordinates the "Books for Babies" project. This is a joint effort to nurture literacy at an early age by providing a Ready-Set-Read kit to new parents who visit the San Antonio Community Hospital's Healthy Beginnings Family Care Center. These bilingual (English/Spanish) kits provide information about the benefits of reading to baby, tips on how to read to baby, a list of appropriate titles, a list of parenting books, information about the four participating libraries, a board book, and a coupon to be redeemed for another board book at any one of the four libraries. The Upland Public Library, in partnership with the Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, and San Bernardino County Libraries, provides the "Read-Set-Read" Kits. For additional information about this program, call any of the participating libraries or the Healthy Beginnings Family Care Center at (909) 980-BABY.

Blogathon 2007

BlogAthon - Riverside County Library

Riverside County Public Library



To help English-speaking adults improve their literacy skills so they may fulfill their personal goals and take advantage of opportunities as lifelong learners.


Annual Facts

• 175 Tutors Trained

• 150 Students Matched

• 60 Families Served

• 10,000 Instructional Hours

• 600 Talent and Support Hours

• 4 Full - Time Staff Members

• Population of Area Served - 760,000

• Number of Literacy Sites/Centers - 3

Blogathon 2007

BlogAThon - Imperial County Free Library

Help for Reading or Writing

Help is available for adults 16 years of age and older who would like to improve their English-language reading and writing. It can be help to begin reading, or help in learning how to read better.

The Imperial County Free Library offers free, confidential help in conjunction with Literacy Volunteers of America/Imperial Valley. Interested persons can call LVA/IV at 352-8541 to inquire further.

Also in conjunction with LVA/IV, the County Library system offers Families for Literacy (FFL) programs for adult learners and their children under 5. The FFL story times are held once a month, September through May, at the Calipatria, Heber and Holtville Branches. See our calendar or call staff at those locations for further information on this program.

Blogathon 2007

BlogAThon - Banned Books

"And Tango Makes Three" tops ALA's 2006 list of most challenged books: 3.06.07

The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) received a total of 546 challenges last year.

A challenge is defined as a formal, written complaint, filed with a library or school, requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness. Public libraries, schools and school libraries report the majority of challenges to OIF.

"The number of challenges reflects only incidents reported," said Judith F. Krug, director of the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom. "For each reported challenge, four or five likely remain unreported.

"The "10 Most Challenged Books of 2006" reflect a range of themes, and consist of the following titles:

"And Tango Makes Three" by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

"Gossip Girls" series by Cecily Von Ziegesar

"Alice" series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

"The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things" by Carolyn Mackler

"The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison

"Scary Stories" series by Alvin Schwartz

"Athletic Shorts" by Chris Crutcher

"The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky

"Beloved" by Toni Morrison

"The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier

Off the list this year, but on for several years past, are the "Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger, "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain.

@Your Local Library - CalCat or WorldCat

Blogathon 2007

BlogAThon - Burbank Public Library

Check their Blog
http://burbanklibrary.blogspot.com

BlogAThon - Palmdale City Library

Palmdale Library Literacy Program

Did you know that one out of five American adults cannot read well enough to fill out a job application, understand the instructions on a prescription bottle, or read a bedtime story to their child? That means in the City of Palmdale, there could easily be over 17,500 adults who have problems reading and writing English.

In 1991, Congress defined literacy as "an individual's ability to read, write, and speak in English," but added to this traditional definition the abilities to compute and solve problems in order for an individual to "function on the job and in society, to achieve one's goals, and develop one's knowledge and potential." The new focus, in other words, is on functional literacy.

The Palmdale City Library's Literacy Program is designed for English-speaking adults who want to improve their reading and writing skills. The Literacy Coordinator provides regularly scheduled training sessions for volunteer tutors. Once trained, each tutor then works one-on-one with an assigned learner.

Someone you know could have difficulty reading or writing and you might never be aware of the problem. Functionally illiterate adults mask their deficiencies well. They listen to and observe the world very carefully. They memorize. They ask their trusted family members and friends to read and write for them. It is embarrassing for them to admit that they cannot read or write "like everybody else." However, given encouragement and guidance in a safe and comfortable setting, most of them can and will improve their literacy skills. The Palmdale Library Literacy Program provides that environment and level of support.

The Literacy offices are located in the Chimbole Cultural Center. If you, or someone you know, is interested in learning more about this worthwhile project, please call 267-5600.

Blogathon 2007

BlogAThon - Wiki

The Adult Literacy Education (ALE) Wiki! *

Learn about adult literacy education here, including English language learning, numeracy, and adult basic and secondary education. Add knowledge from your experience teaching adult learners, from research or professional wisdom, or from your experience as an adult learner.

The ALE Wiki is a community of practice with links to research for practitioners, researchers, learners and others. Although some people add to the discussion here, unlike an electronic list where dialogue may be frequent and lively, for the most part discussion archived here has taken place on electronic lists elsewhere.

Basic Literacy Topics - one of many Topics

Contributory Causes of Adults' Low Literacy:

~ What are the various reasons that adults in the United States have low literacy skills?


Teaching Reading to Adults:

~ What are the best strategies for teaching reading to adults?

Adult New Readers Who Plateau at the Second or Third Grade Level

Optimum Size for Basic Literacy Classes

Basic Literacy Assessment

Blogathon 2007