San Luis Obispo Library - Mincing Words Exhibit - September

'Mincing Words': Exhibit in San Luis Obispo
The works on display at Linnaea’s Cafe in SLO this month incorporate and honor the written word
Tribune: 8.11.2011 by Lee Sutter

The exhibit at Linnaea’s that combines art with text is nothing new, as Picasso and cohorts explored such methods during their Synthetic Cubism period 100 years ago.

It’s an intriguing concept, however, and a refreshing change. It also ties in with National Literacy Month and the Art of the Book exhibits at local libraries.

Ursula Black’s disturbing painting includes a poem she wrote “All the rest of us took text from someone else,” said Lena Rushing, show organizer.

Although the Dadaist European artistic and literary movement of the early 20th Century used text, its intent was to mock conventional art. That is not this exhibit’s thrust. Rather this exhibit intends to honor the written word, whether it’s literature, lyrics, poetry, or famous quotes.

“Even if you’re not somebody who reads a lot, you’re probably moved by lyrics, or recall a book from childhood,” said Rushing.

Among her many entries are two paintings based on Lewis Carroll’s nonsense poem “Jabberwocky.” Rushing’s mother had once painted the imaginary figure from “Through the Looking Glass” on an apartment wall, and later a photo of that work appeared in Rushing’s various childhood homes. Her brother even got a tattoo of the monster. READ MORE !

Redlands Library - Redlands event celebrates international literature

Redlands event celebrates international literature
Redlands Daily Facts: 9.06.2022 by Molly Davis

Reading is usually a solitary endeavor. But on Tuesday, International Literacy Day, readers from all over the world showed how books can bring people together.

The Friends of the A.K. Smiley Public Library held an open house Tuesday evening to highlight the importance of literacy, reading and writing. The open house also shared information about the adult literacy program.

"It's a wide spectrum of things," said Trudy Waldron, the volunteer coordinator for the adult literature program.

Several local speakers shared their knowledge of other countries' literature and talked about their experiences with reading and interpreting foreign literature.

The event was "one more way to get our message out," said Waldron.

One in five adults in the United States lack the ability to read and function at the appropriate level, she said.

"Our community has its fair share of people who need extra help," she added. READ MORE !

Newport Beach Library - Literacy Program Celebrates Learners at Library Event

Literacy Program Celebrates Learners at Library Event
Corona Del Mar Today: 9.08.2011

Effy Sanchez knew she needed to learn English — really learn to read and write and speak it — when her son was 5 years old and they were shopping at Kmart.

“He stopped me and he said, very loud, ‘You need to learn English,’” Sanchez said. “That made me so embarrassed. I knew in my head the first time I needed to learn English.”

Sanchez was born in Mexico and moved to the United States 26 years ago, but learning a second language always proved too difficult until a supervisor told her about the Newport Beach Public Library Literacy Services program. Her tutor, Vicky Smith, worked with her, helping her learn new words, grammar and how to read.

Today, Sanchez received the Rochelle Hoffman Memorial Award, given each year to a standout “learner” in the Literacy Services program. The award is named for a Corona del Mar woman who volunteered as a tutor before her death in 2004. Her daughters, Renee Hoffman Heath and Risa Hoffman, attended the event.

Sanchez lives in Costa Mesa and is a beacon for her community, Smith said during the ceremony today in the Friends Room of the Central Library. About 70 people attended the event, which was part of a celebration of International Literacy Day.

The library’s literacy program was established in 1986 and currently has 151 learners and 110 volunteer tutors. About 50 tutors are trained each year, but the program has about 30 people on a waiting list, said Cherall Weiss, literary services coordinator. READ MORE !

International Literacy Day: September 8 2011

Speak Out for Literacy

Southern California Library Literacy Network member libraries change lives by providing FREE Adult Literacy, Family Literacy, ESL and Youth Literacy programs in communities from Santa Barbara to San Diego. SCLLN also provides Professional Development and an outstanding Tutor Conference each year. Contact any of our member libraries listed on the SCLLN Members Page for more information.

California Library Literacy Services (CLLS) is a program of the California State Library. The mission of CLLS is to enable Californians of all ages to reach their literacy goals and use library services effectively. California has approximately 3.4 million adults with below basic literacy skills. Over 100 CLLS libraries serve nearly 20,000 adults annually in over 800 library branches and other outlets statewide. As a result, these adults are voting for the first time, reading newspapers, reading aloud to their children, and securing jobs.

Redlands Library - Celebrate International Literacy Day

Celebrate International Literacy Day
Redlands Daily Facts: 9.02.2011

The Friends of the A.K. Smiley Public Library will hold an open house celebrating International Literacy Day from 5-7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Assembly Room of the A.K. Smiley Public Library, 125 W. Vine St., Redlands.

The Friends of the Library are sponsoring the event to highlight the importance of reading and writing in the United States and throughout the world as a pathway to promote employment, ensure good health and reduce crime.
The theme of the event is "Books are our passport to the world." International desserts and coffee will be served.

Carey Curtis Smith, who is a new volunteer with the Redlands Adult Literacy Program, will be a featured speaker. Smith was selected in 2005 as one of Inland Empire Magazine's top 12 artists.

Smith plans to speak about "the connectivity of books, language and the degrees of separation that can thread them, often unawares, into one's life."
The literacy open house will begin with speakers who will focus on the literature and customs of other countries. READ MORE !

CA & National Literacy Calendar: September 2011

California Literacy Calendar: September 2011

September - Library Card Sign-Up Month

SCLLN

Literacy & Library Events & Conferences
- local, California and National -

visit the

Southern California Library Literacy Network

for more information

Info about local Tutor Training Workshops is always Scrolling in the Right Frame.

Local & California Literacy Events: September 2011
September – Festival of Children @ South Coast Plaza – Costa Mesa
Sep 8: International Literacy Day 
Sep 17: Word AV Festival – Lancaster
Sep 17: High Desert Ride for Literacy – Lancaster
Sep 18: Central Coast Book Festival – San Luis Obispo
Sep 23+: Southern California Writer’s Conf - LA

National & International Literacy Events: September 2011
Sep 8: International Literacy Day
Sep 12+: Natl Adult Education & Family Literacy Week
Sep 14: Literacy Leadership Awards – Washington DC
Sep 16+: KidLitCon - Seattle
Sep 20: National Day of Writing 
Sep 22+: Center for Health Literacy Conf – Arlington VA
Sep 23+: WCD Expo – Atlantic City NJ
Sep 24+: Banned Book Week
Sep 24: National Punctuation Day
Sep 24+: National Book Festival – Washington DC
Sep 30: Boston Globe – Horn Book Awards – Simmons College MA

Oceanside Library - Progress Is Their Password

Progress Is Their Password
Oceanside Reads: Fall 2011

When lives intersect at READS the probability of positive results is pretty good. That seems to be the case with tutor Gay Hartman and student Elena Rodriguez, whose lives were guided onto a common path more than five years ago by READS Coordinator Corrie Miles. Since then Gay and Elena have spent many hours traveling that trail—a trail lined with the rewards of a richer understanding of the language.

Elena, who was born at Camp Pendleton and lived in Encinitas as a child, has already reaped some of those rewards and continues to gather more. Her learning journey with Gay has improved her word recognition and reading comprehension significantly, she says, along with strengthening her self esteem.
Gay, one of five children, was born in southwest Louisiana but has been a Californian for more than 50 years. She arrived at READS with a background as an elementary school teacher in the Orange Unified School District. She has lived in Oceanside for about eight years, and her work with Elena fits her lifestyle to perfection because she finds joy in volunteer work on several fronts.

In addition to her service at READS, Gay tutors math at Lincoln Middle School in Oceanside and helps with fund-raising for the City of Hope. She also presides over the local chapter of the Organization for Rehabilitation and Training “which supports education and training for students at risk all over the world.” And she counts herself among the volunteers at the library in Ocean Hills, the community where she lives.

Elena is the second of seven children. Her mother hails from Texas and her father from Mexico. So when she was young, “I spoke both English and Spanish at home,” she says. Her Grandfather Joseph served in the Marines, which led to her mother giving birth at Camp Pendleton.

Improving her English reading and writing skills has long been a struggle for Elena, but her work with Gay has boosted her confidence, and she remains committed to continuing her progress. READ MORE !