Hemet Library - Woman Finds More Than Literacy Skills

Woman Finds More Than Literacy Skills
Valley Chronicle: Aug 14, 2009 by Valerie Drew

Every morning, Laurie Heber wakes up and looks at a small bee figurine sitting on her dresser. The figurine includes the words “Believe in yourself,” and thanks to Hemet Adult Literacy Services, Heber said she is learning exactly how to do that.

For Heber, self-esteem is an issue. “I’m still working on building it up,” she said.

Heber graduated from the Adult Learner Leadership Institute (ALLI) in July. The program, which meets one Saturday a month for six months, teaches adult learners life skills, such as self-esteem, networking, and public speaking through practical exercises. The institute is funded by California Library Literacy Services and was developed by Henry Huffman, an adult learner in Santa Clara County in the late 1980s. Huffman completed the reading program and went on to become a tutor. He was an advocate of literacy and formed ALLI so learners could take their reading and writing skills to the next level.

Heber said the exercises helped her to improve her self-esteem, speak in front of large audiences, and become a leader in her community. One of the exercises required Heber to make a speech in front of the other participants at ALLI. “I was so scared!” Heber said. “But I felt comfortable because I knew people in the group weren’t going to laugh at me.” Her speech was about winning the statewide Writer-to-Writer competition last year.

Story continues below ↓

Lori Eastman — the literacy coordinator for the adult literacy program, which is run through Hemet Public Library — said Heber wants to stay in the program so she can continue to improve.

READ MORE !

2009 Outstanding Librarian in Support of Literacy Award

California Library Association Literacy Section
&
California Library Literacy Services
Invite Your Nominations

2009 Outstanding Librarian in Support of Literacy Award

Award Purpose:
This award is to recognize and honor a librarian who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to support literacy.

Eligibility:The nominee cannot be a literacy services staff person who already provides direct literacy services.
The nominee can be someone who has performed one or more of the following services in support of literacy:
~ Advocacy
~ Collection Development
~ Fund Raising
~ Outreach
~ Programming
~ Public Awareness
~ Recruitment
~ Other - You Name It !

Nominations must be received or postmarked on or before,

September 18th, 2009.

Only one nomination per library jurisdiction is allowed.
This is an individual award – nomination cannot be for a group.

The winner will be honored at the CLA Conference Awards Dinner on October 30th, 2009 in Pasadena. At a minimum s/he will receive two tickets to attend the Awards Ceremony, one year membership in CLA, a plaque to honor his/her achievement, recognition on the CLA web-site, and a gift certificate.

Each nominee will receive a certificate of special recognition.

Procedures:
Fill out the Nomination Form
Mail or e-mail completed nomination form to:
Cherall Weiss
NBPL Literacy Services
1000 Avocado Avenue
Newport Beach, CA 92660-7916
cweiss@city.newport-beach.ca.us

2008 Outstanding Librarian in Support of Literacy
Past Awardees

California Library Association Literacy Section
California Library Literacy Services

Pomona Library - Library Holds Adult Reading Session

Library Holds Adult Reading Session
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin: August 7, 2009 by Imani Tate

When parents and family elders read books, they act as literacy role models for children.

Reading can be a recreational pastime, an opportunity to acquire advanced skills or a doorway into a world of adventure, asserted Pat Lambert, the Pomona Public Library's adult services librarian.

It can also fill summer hours with excellent excuses to come to the local library, she added.

Lambert initiated the adult summer reading program to offer additional family-oriented activities at the library and encourage adults to enjoy the library as children and teens do.

In years past, only young children participated in summer reading programs. Children's librarian Nissa Perez-Montoya, her staff and teen volunteers coordinated the June to August activities for the younger set. Lambert designed the adult program around a similar format, offering opportunities for adults to read more, win prizes for the number of hours spent reading and attend specialty programs presented by such artists as Glendora quilter Marijo Jackson.

Story continues below ↓

According to Lambert, reading is one of the most important skills anyone can acquire.

"Parents can serve as models for their children and be a positive influence when they read," she contended. "Families coming to the library tend to be more engaged in reading-related activities, gain increased awareness of services available for all age groups at the library and oftentimes are able to realize greater personal and professional success when they're excellent readers.”

Lambert said a library is a focal point for learning, culture and literacy in any community.

"Despite the increasing popularity of technology, libraries are still vital because of the connection they make with people," she noted. "Yes, most people have computers, but people need a place where they can come and engage with other people. That engagement can be through book discussion groups, crafting sessions or summer reading programs."

Story continues below ↓

The adult summer reading program ends Tuesday and adults will celebrate with participants in the children's summer reading program for the Wednesday performance by Buster Balloon.

Lambert will then begin work on her next major project: the citywide Big Read program featuring activities, programs and projects around Jack London's book "Call of the Wild." The Big Read is Oct. 10 to Nov. 14. READ MORE !

Burbank Library - Reading Horizons Site of the Month: August 2009

Reading Horizons Site of the Month: August 2009

Burbank Public Library
Burbank, California

Since 1992, Burbank Public Library has provided free, one-to-one literacy services to members of the surrounding community. In the 17 years since then, more than 1,500 volunteer tutors have assisted over 1,600 adult learners in their quests to learn to read. They also have a 'Ready To Read' youth program for 4th-12th graders reading below grade level. Their efforts have been greatly aided by Discover Intensive Phonics (DIP), adopted in 1998 as the library's core reading program. They use a combination of direct instruction along with the software on a network of 5 computer stations to facilitate their students' needs.

"Discover Intensive Phonics works because it is a systematic method of teaching basic concepts and adding layers of skills at each learner’s pace,” says William Byrne-Literacy Coordinator, who is also a certified DIP instructor. “Our learners often tell me that, at long last, they finally have a tutor who can explain the differences between a, at, ate, and eat. It really does give learners independence and confidence to read on their own."

2009 CLA: Professional Development Day

Southern California Library Literacy Network
Professional Development Day

@ California Library Association Conference

October 30, 2009

President’s CONFERENCE MESSAGE

Welcome to the 111th California Library Association Annual Conference in beautiful Pasadena!

In the spirit of my theme of “Reach Out!”, this year’s Conference Committee has reached out to all types of libraries and beyond in order to bring you an eclectic mix of opportunities for continuing education. This program is packed with interesting workshops, poster sessions, and speakers as well as great choices for fun and social interaction.

In addition we are happy to be welcoming the Southern California Library Literacy Network to Conference as part of their annual professional development day. They are sharing registration and exhibits with us.

Beginning with a rousing and laughter-filled Opening Session, featuring Paula Poundstone, to appreciating the fun of customer service with the “Unshelved” duo of Bill Barnes and Gene Ambaum, and ending with the inspiration of California’s 2009 “LJ Movers and Shakers,” the Conference is meant to provide you with much to take home.

Story continues below ↓

So learn from the Institutes and Workshops, network with colleagues, listen to inspiring and enjoyable speakers, then kick back and dine your way around town, enjoy the Phantom of the Opera themed casino night, and come honor the 2009 CLA award winners.

Remember to “Reach Out!” to each other! READ MORE !

PDD: October 30, 2009

8:30 am - 5:00 pm

Register Online @: CLA

$ 175.00 for 1 morning session and 1 afternoon session
. . . If you register for both PDD & the CLA Conference there’s a $15.00 discount for each.

MORNING SESSIONS • 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

The Importance of Including Job Finding Skills in your Literacy Program

Presenters To Be Announced

Join this panel to discuss how to implement a job seeking program that will help keep learners competitive. Online job search, resume/application completion, and interview techniques will be presented in this hand’s on workshop.

Phonics: Basic Concepts & the Orton-Gillingham Approach
Tracy Block-Zaretsky

This workshop will be a highly interactive workshop to learn how to use multisensory techniques to learn/teach decoding (reading) and encoding (spelling) skills based on the Orton-Gillingham (O-G) approach.

AFTERNOON SESSIONS • 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm

Fundraising

Scott Ullman

Established in 1956 and today supported by close to 600 foundations, the Foundation Center is a national nonprofit service organization recognized as the nation’s leading authority on organized philanthropy. This course will help you understand how corporate donors differ from foundations, and where you can make inroads to gain their support and long-term commitment.

Simple Strategies to Make Technology Accessible, Relevant, and Engaging for Adult Literacy Learners and their Tutors

Brian Castagne

Join us for a relaxed and informative demonstration of one library-based adult literacy program’s simple and effective system to use off-the-shelf software (and their noggins) to support learner-tutor sessions and promote learner independence. We will cover lab portfolios, spelling and phonics software, word processing templates, text-to-speech software, e-mail, blogs, tutor training curricula, and interlibrary/interagency collaborations.

For More Information: 619 . 527 . 5475

Santa Maria Library - Families Team Up for Literacy

Families Team Up for Literacy
Santa Maria Times: July 31, 2009
msnbc.msn.com

For decades, experts have hammered home the importance of parental involvement in ensuring students' success in school.

Now, the experts at the Central Coast Literacy Council are putting their money where their mouth is.

The council piloted a program this summer that coaches parents on how to become more active in their child's academic lives with the goal of boosting student achievement.

The Family Literacy Program, which targets parents with limited English proficiency or who otherwise feel ill-equipped to help their children with school, is the first of its kind in north Santa Barbara County.

"Many parents think they are not good teachers and they are afraid," said Isa Ponce, CCLC executive director. "But (it's) wrong to think that way. Teaching begins at home."

The CCLC recently moved into its new home inside the Santa Maria Public Library, a location with enough space to host the Family Literacy Program.

Story continues below ↓

Sixteen teen volunteers, comprised mostly of Righetti High School students, meet with seven families once a week in the library for group activities and to go over strategies on subjects ranging from encouraging kids to read, to organization, to study skills.

Parents also are taught during the hour and a half-long sessions how to navigate the school system in order to ensure their child's needs get fulfilled. For information on becoming a program participant or volunteer, call 925-0951, Ext. 836. READ MORE !

Orange Co Library - Making a WINning Difference to Orange County Inmates

Making a WINning Difference to Orange County Inmates 
READ WRITES Newsletter: June/July 2009

Tutor Spotlight: Sandi Kangas

Most of our tutors meet with their learners at the local library, but not Sandi Kangas. Since she started working with READ/OC in 2005, Sandi has dedicated her time to helping inmates in the Orange County jails improve their reading and writing skills through the WIN (Working for Inmate Literacy Now) program.

Sandi “got the helping bug” as she got older, and decided that since she loved to teach, volunteering with READ/OC would be a great way for her to give back to the community. She liked the idea of working one-on-one with the inmates and giving them a chance to improve their situation. In four years, Sandi has had nearly half a dozen learners in the jails. She has discovered that WIN is a good fit for her because the inmates have to really want to learn in order to qualify for the program. That just makes her want to give them everything she’s got as a tutor.

Although it can sometimes be challenging to work within the security restrictions of the jail tutoring venue, Sandi has found some creative ways to engage her learners. The inmates aren’t allowed to keep books in their cells, so Sandi likes to ask her learners to write a few paragraphs about an imaginative story, then use that narrative as their study guide. She also likes to give them photocopied pages of the GED study manual. Sandi even had one learner who liked to read the dictionary, because that was the only reading material he could have!

Sandi is very enthusiastic about the time she has spent tutoring in the jails, and she would encourage more tutors to contribute their time to the WIN program. Her advice to new tutors would be: don’t be afraid of working in the jails. She has found her inmate learners to be just like learners on the outside, and she has always felt safe and secure working with WIN.

So if you want to help a motivated and eager individual turn their life around through reading, don’t hesitate! There are plenty of inmates waiting for the chance to work with a READ/OC tutor just like Sandi! Contact the READ/OC office for more information about how to be a WIN Tutor.