Literacy Tribune: May 2009

Literacy Tribune: May 2009

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: Protect Yourself from the Flu
~ The current outbreak of swine flu has everyone thinking about the flu.

A Learner's Poem
~ I'm a Silent Old Tree by Rodolfo Diaz

Member Spotlight:
~ When Juan Munoz, 28, counsels a student with a learning disability, he understands what they are going through.

Technology Watch
~ Mac OS X Desktop Basics

A History Lesson: The Civil War

Call for Writers !
Are you an adult learner ?
Do you want to write ?
Do you want to publish your writing ?

The Literacy Tribune is looking for adult learner writers.

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

Easy Voter's Guide: May 19 Election 2009

EASY VOTER’S GUIDE
California Special Election: May 19, 2009

For new readers and busy voters.

The 2009-10 budget adopted in February depends on $5.8 billion from Propositions 1C, 1D and 1E. If voters reject those propositions, the Legislature and Governor will have to come up with more spending cuts and tax increases or find another way to balance the budget.

The 6 statewide propositions on the ballot come from a recent agreement on how to deal with spending commitments that were $41.7 billion higher than projected state revenue. Some voters may also have local measures or offices on their ballot.

Read about the Propositions or Watch videos @

Proposition 1A State Budget
Proposition 1B Public Education Funding
Proposition 1C California State Lottery
Proposition 1D Transfer of Child Development Funds
Proposition 1E Transfer of Mental Health Funds
Proposition 1F Pay Raises for State Officials

The Easy Voter's Guide was started when a group of public library adult literacy students [ Bay Area New Readers Council ] felt that there was a lack of nonpartisan voter information accessible to adults still working on their reading skills.

Some of their innovations, job descriptions for each political office, have been adopted by the Secretary of State's official Voter Information Guide.

The nonpartisan “Easy Voter Guide” (formerly Easy Reading Voter Guide) has been published for every California statewide election since 1994. It is a service of:

~ League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
~ California State Library
~ California Secretary of State's Office
~ The James Irvine Foundation provides additional support

CLARION Spring Issue - Literacy

CLArion

A Publication of the California Library Association
Volume 5 • Issue 1 • April 2009

Welcome to the spring issue of CLARION everyone!

Dedicating this issue to literacy is so appropriate because just as the spring season is a time of rebirth and renewal, library literacy services allow those involved to experience a type of rebirth and improvement in their lives. And certainly at the heart of any library, no matter which type, is the improvement of our users’ literacy in many areas:

• Basic literacy
• Early literacy
• Computer literacy
• Information literacy
• Consumer literacy
• Family literacy

I hope you find the articles here inspiring and perhaps, throughout this issue, identify people with whom you might partner or share information. As we all deal with our budgets this year, let’s remember that literacy programs should be considered basic core services and not partially or underfunded “extra” programs. Some of us, I know, need to fight for that core funding and are particularly grateful to the state library’s literacy grant programs that allow us to provide these essential services.

To all who work with literacy in all its forms, thank you for your enthusiasm and commitment. Thank you for being the champions of providing people with the opportunity to be not only literate, but smarter and better informed in their lives. In these times of economic upheaval and information overload it is more important than ever for libraries to let their constituents, their politicians, and their stakeholders know how our literacy efforts impact the lives of those we serve. Don’t be shy; market the fabulous results of your programs.

Speaking of being better informed, the CLA Transition Tool Kit has been distributed to chairs of current sections, round tables and committees. It is also available on the CLA website. I hope everyone has an opportunity to take a look at this document so we are all better informed about the transition to our new governance structure.

Barbara L. Roberts
2009 California Library Association President

Table of Contents
~ California Library Literacy Services By Susan Hildreth
~ The Wednesday Night Readers By John Gildersleeve
~ The CLLS AmeriCorps Initiative By Susan Empizo
~ Adult Learners Leading the Way By Shanti Bhaskaran and Rosie Manela
~ The Business of Building Hope in Salinas By Mary Ellison and Elizabeth Martinez
~ Writer to Writer Challenge By Shanti Bhaskaran
~ Changing Lives in Solano County By Ann Cousineau
~ Adult Learner and Tutor Profiles

Click on links for more information about:
Writer to Writer
Adult Learners Leading the Way [ ALLI ]

California Literacy - Library Events: May 2009

SCLLN Literacy & Library Events & Conferences
- local, California and National Conferences -
visit
Southern California Library Literacy Network
for more information

Tutor Training Workshops scrolling in left frame

Local Events and Conferences: May 2009

April 30 – May 2
California Council on Adult Education Conference
Pasadena CA

April 30 – May 3
Village of Tales Storytelling Festival
Ojai CA

May 1-3
Black Writers on Tour
Los Angeles Convention Center

May 2 & 3
Kid's Magic Mile
Race for Literacy
Balboa Park - San Diego CA

May 4: 5 pm
Viva Monrovia Reads
Doubletree Hotel - Monrovia CA

May 7-8
Health Literacy Conference
Hyatt Regency - Irvine CA

May 9: Noon-4 pm
Raising Readers - First 5 LA
Santa Monica College

California and National Conferences: May 2009

May 1: Noon
Californians and Education - PPIC
Sacramento CA

May 3-5
Adult Learner Institute: Adult Literacy Congress
New Carrollton, MD

May 3-7
International Reading Assn.-North Central
Minneapolis MN

May 8: 9 am
Tulare County Learner-Tutor Conference
Three Rivers CA

May 11-12
ALA Day on the Hill
Washington DC

May 16-17
Bay Area Storytelling Festival
El Sobrante CA

May 16-17
National Black Book Festival
Houston TX

California Library Literacy - Social Networking

Social Networking

Southern California Library Literacy Network

Check Out SCLLN libraries on MySpace & Facebook !

- and some CLLS Libraries up North -

Facebook

Burbank Public Library
San Diego County - L.E.A.R.N
Southern California Library Literacy Network
Alameda County Library "Start with a Story"
North Central Coast Library Literacy Network
Solano County Library Literacy Services

MySpace

Burbank Public Library
L.E.A.R.N. Imperial Valley
Palmdale City Library
Southern California Library Literacy Network

Covina Library - Literacy Showdown: Fundraiser helps tutoring program

Literacy Showdown: Fundraiser helps tutoring program
SGVTribune: April 19, 2009 by Claudia S. Palma

Answering questions such as "how many sides are in an isosceles triangle" to "what famous sandwich cookie appeared in 1913," teams were eliminated one by one during the Covina Trivia Showdown on April 14.

The Robert's Ringers team were crowned champs by the end of the Covina Public Library's Second Start Literacy Program's eighth annual showdown at Nick's Taste of Texas.

Twelve three-member teams competed for the ultimate prize - a large trophy cup and the winning title.

But the real winners of the night were the students that benefit from the literacy program. Proceeds from the night's event went toward funding the program.

Since 1999, the literacy program, an expansion of the Covina Literacy Council, has provided hours of free one-on-one tutoring, beginning with English-speaking adults and then expanding to programs for children looking to improve their reading and math skills.

For young Jody Iniguez, reading seemed to really bring him a sense of joy.

"The tutor helped me a lot," said the 7-year-old Covina resident.

His parents, German and Erika Iniguez, said they have seen a big difference in their son since beginning the program in June last year.

"He was having trouble spelling, reading consistently, finishing sentences," said German.

"Now with the tutoring, he reads at the top of his class, his spelling has improved a lot and he reads whole books."

The nonprofit program relies on grants, donations and fundraising to offer the free service. The tutors are volunteers, giving their free time to help the students.

For more information on the Second Start Literacy Program, call (626) 858-5553. READ MORE !

Writer To Writer - 2009

Writer To Writer 2009: Books Change Lives

8th Annual Writing Challenge for Adult Learners

California Library Literacy Services

Adult Learners !

Read or listen to a book that inspires you.

Write a letter to the author.

Deadline: July 17, 2009

Ceremony: Fall 2009 @ CLA

Adult learners in California Library Literacy Services programs will select and read a book and then write to the author about how that book changed their lives.

4 Levels:

~ Emerging - dictated letter to tutors or staff
~ Beginning - write basic, simple sentences on their own
~ Intermediate - write complex sentences with larger vocabulary
~ Advanced - writing independently with little technical support

Entry Form @
Instructions @

In 2008, 162 learners wrote letters that showed depth and perception that warmed the hearts of everyone who read them. The letters opened a window into the lives of our learners to show how their reading affects their lives. From these letters we can all learn how reading a book can dramatically influence and change a life.The top 30 letters will be published in a book and on the California State Library website.

The letters of the 2008 winners and finalists @