Brawley Library : : Marjo Mello 2015 Women of the Year, 56th Assembly District

Marjo Mello Honored as 56th Assembly District 2015 Women of the Year

Imperial Valley News: 3.09.2015

Earlier today at the State Capitol, Marjo Mello of Brawley was honored as the 56th Assembly District’s 2015 Woman of the Year.  Selected for the honor by Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia, Ms. Mello joined women from all over the state to be recognized for their contributions during a special Assembly Floor Session.

“As the City of Brawley Library Director, Marjo has dedicated her entire life to making the library accessible for everyone in the community and has committed to expanding services and promoting literacy in the City and the entire Imperial Valley,” stated Assemblymember Garcia.  “As libraries transition from traditional print, Marjo has adapted the City’s approach to services by meeting changing times with innovative leadership and established the regions first mobile pre-literacy program,” said Garcia.

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Marjo L. Mello joined the staff of the City of Brawley in 1987 and has led the department as Library Director since 1992.  Mrs. Mello has devoted her career to making the library a place for resources that are accessible and relevant to the community, promoting literacy in the City and the region.  She is remarkably gifted at resource management, including the oversight of a group of highly committed personnel, and quality inventory.  Mrs. Mello has a keen ability to prioritize approaches that provide for the City’s highest level of service to the public.  READ MORE !

Azusa Library : : Making Skills Everyone's Business

New Report Summons a Call to Make Skills Everyone’s Business 

Azusa Library, The Literacy Update: March/April 2015

The U.S. Department of Education Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE) released a new report in February: Making Skills Everyone’s Business: A Call to Transform Adult Learning in the United States. Its authors’ review of a convergence of data, analysis, and policy highlight just how much skills matter – to individuals, their families and communities, and to the economy overall.  The Literacy Program at the Azusa City Library answers that call and invites you to join with us.  Here are a few highlights from the report that emphasize why we do what we do.

In the United States 36 million adults have low skills, scoring below Level 2 on the most recent international literacy assessment.  Further, the skill levels of U.S. adults have remained stagnant over two decades. The report details who has low skills and who would benefit from gaining higher skills.  For instance, we find that two-thirds of the low-skilled population (nearly 24 million people) are employed. With slow projected growth in the labor force, that means that most of tomorrow’s workforce already is  working today. Low-skilled workers tend to be employed in retail and auto mechanics, hospitality and food service, health and social work, manufacturing, and construction.

  

How can individuals benefit?

 Higher skills lead to higher wages.

 Increasing parents’ skill can improve education outcomes for their children – “double duty” dollars is what some people call it.

 Higher-skilled adults are healthier, with implications for their ability to work,     parent, and participate in their communities.

How can business and industry benefit?

 Increasing adult skills increases productivity.

 Because higher-skilled workers are also likely to be healthier, helping adults  improve their skills indirectly raises productivity.

 Increasing skills expands access to better employment and better-paying jobs, creating new customers for products and services.

How can the community benefit?

 Raising adult skills could lift community educational attainment for the next generation as well.

 States with better-educated workforces have higher economic growth and higher wages.

 Raising adult skills could potentially save communities substantial amounts in healthcare costs.

 Integrating immigrants may benefit communities economically.

 Raising adult skills could result in more civic engagement in communities.

SCLLN Literacy Library Tutor Training Calendar : : April 2015

SCLLN Literacy Library Tutor Training Calendar: April 2015

For Local, California and National

Literacy or Library Conferences and Events

visit the

Southern California Library Literacy Network

Calendar

National Library Week

Apr. 2 Literacy Learner Orientation = READ/OC Library 1pm

Apr. 2 Literacy Learner Orientation = READ/OC Library 6pm

Apr. 2 Literacy Tutor Orientation - South Bay Literacy @Torrance Library 7p

Apr. 4 Literacy Tutor Training = San Bernardino Co Library Chino 10a

Apr. 4 Literacy Tutor Training = San Bernardino Co Library L Arrowhead 10a

Apr. 4 Literacy Tutor Training = San Bernardino Co Library Rialto 10:30a

Apr. 6 Literacy Tutor Orientation - Ventura Library 5p

Apr. 6 Literacy Tutor Orientation = Centro Latino for Literacy 6p

Apr. 7 Literacy Tutor Orientation = Newport Beach Library 10a

Apr. 8 Literacy Tutor Training - San Bernardino Co Library Barstow 11a

Apr. 8 Literacy Learner Orientation - READ/San Diego Library  5:45p

Apr. 11 Literacy Tutor Training = San Bernardino Co Library Fontana 10a

Apr. 14 Literacy Tutor Orientation - READ/OC Library 1pm

Apr. 14 Literacy Tutor Orientation - READ/OC Library 6p

Apr. 16 Literacy Tutor Training - San Diego County Library 12N

Apr. 16 Literacy Tutor Training - READ/San Diego Library 6p

Apr. 16 Volunteer Recognition-Open House = Centro Latino for Literacy 6p

Apr. 18 Literacy Tutor Workshop - READ/OC Library 9a

Apr. 18 Literacy Tutor Workshop- Whittier Literacy Council 9a

Apr. 18 Literacy Tutor Training - San Bernardino Co Library Adelanto 11a

Apr. 19 Walk Run READ = Huntington Beach Library Literacy FUNraiser
Apr. 19 Literacy Tutor Training - Santa Barbara Library 1p

Apr. 20 Literacy Learner Training - READ/San Diego Library 9:45a

Apr. 20 Literacy Volunteer Orientation = Corona Library 7p

Apr. 21 Literacy Tutor Training = San Bernardino Co Library Hesperia 3p

Apr. 22 Literacy Tutor Training = Hemet Library 9a

Apr. 25 Literacy Tutor Workshop - San Luis Obispo Library 10a

Apr. 25 Literacy Tutor Training - San Bernardino Co Apple Valley Library 10a

Apr. 25 Literacy Tutor Training - San Bernardino Co 29 Palms Library 10a 

LAPL Adult Literacy volunteers receive 7 hours of Online Instruction

Info about Local Tutor Training :: Always Scrolling in the Right Frame.

Statewide Workshops @ California Library Literacy Services

San Diego Co Library :: Now You Know - How To Volunteer With LEARN

Now You Know - How To Volunteer With LEARN 

County News Center: 3.20.2015 by Jose Eli Villanueva

Is reading your thing? Take some time to help an adult learn how to read at your local County Library. Meet twice a week - and commit to 6 months - and help better someone's life. Volunteer with LEARN.

Newport Beach Library :: Tutor Recommendations: SMART Goals

Tutor Recommendations: SMART Goals

Newport Beach Library Literally Speaking: March/April 2015

Has your learner ever said, “I need pronunciation, I want to speak better English, My goal is to learn past tense, or I want to learn to spell”? Many of our learners get goals and skills confused. When learners come to their personal interview, literacy staff helps them set SMART Goals. Goals have a specific end result. Skills on the other hand are ongoing improvements.

Progress comes from working towards personal goals. Reading and writing learners, who are also second language learners, say they want to read or write better, learn grammar, or improve vocabulary. These are valuable skills, but very different from goals.

At tutor training, Betty was the example of a reading and writing learner. She dreamed of becoming a nurse and needed the GED or high school diploma. She also wanted to talk to neighbors and read maps and bus schedules.

Goals are specific accomplishments or dreams to strive for. Skills, on the other hand, are ongoing, like a treadmill, never stopping.

If your learner’s goals look like a list of skills, it is time to brainstorm. Start by helping your learner identify things he or she wants to do. Next, help your learner identify the goals he or she can achieve within 3-6 months. Once these goals are identified, talk about the steps needed to accomplish them.  READ MORE !

Literacy FUNraisers :: Covina Library ::: Glendora Library

2015 Craft Beer Walk

Fundraiser Benefiting

Covina Public Library's Literacy Program

March 21 :: 5-8 pm

Downtown Covina, Badillo St & Citrus Ave.

Tickets :: $10 donation

Purchase your tickets at the

Covina Public Library, 234 N. Second Ave

For more info

Lilly Jimenez, Literacy Coordinator @ 626-384-5280.

Great Trivia Challenge

Fundraiser Benefiting

Glendora Library & Literacy Program

March 21 :: 5 pm 

Azusa Pacific University

Felix Event Center

710 E. Foothill Blvd

Admission $15 each

For More Info 

Christine Cravens @ 626-852-4894

Carlsbad Library :: Writer-to-Writer—Congratulations Pierre S.!

Writer-to-Writer—Congratulations Pierre S.!

Learning Connections: March/April 2015

The results are in! The Writer to Writer Challenge, sponsored by the Southern California Library Literacy Network (SCLLN), wrapped up this year with a record number of entries—80—and the quality of the letters was amazing! We are so proud of all of the learners who wrote letters.

Writers, tutors, coordinators and their guests gathered at a wonderful brunch held Saturday, March 7, at the Radisson in Newport Beach. The winners read their letters, and winners and runners-up each received a cash prize and a certificate. All writers received a certificate of participation.

Congratulations to Pierre S., “P.J. Rock,” from Literacy Services who won first place in the Emerging Writer category of the Writer to Writer Challenge. He wrote his letter to Burton Goodman, the author of Goodman’s Five-Star Stories—Travels: 8 Stories from Around the World with Tests to Help You Read and Write.

December 2, 2014

Dear Mr. Goodman,

I liked your book "Travels" because it really helped me a lot. It improved my skills. When I read the stories, I could understand them a little. Then I could do the questions without anybody's help, and my tutor checked my answers. I like the exercises because they improve my reading, spelling, and writing. And I did a really great job!

I've never done this before; in school they gave me books to learn how to read, but it was difficult for me to know how to pronounce things and understand them. The library taught me a lot more than they taught me at school. I still need to improve myself and learn how to read better, but I'm working on it.

One of my brothers told me about his friend I could work for. And my brother's friend could try to teach me how to read. This helped me a little bit. He paid me to work in his garden, and then he would let me come inside the house to teach me how to read. But then I had to stop working for him.  Pierre’s full letter can be found on Page 4

Books from Writer-to-Writer found at the Learning Center:

Carlos and the Squash Plant, Jan Stevens

Chicken by Charlie, Tana Reiff

Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert

The Fault in Our Stars, John Green

The Giver, Lois Lowry

The Giving Tree, Shel Silverstein

The Glass Castle: A Memoir, Jeannette Walls

Hatchet, Gary Paulsen

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Jamie Ford

Latina Magazine, Lauren Michaels

Life is So Good, George Dawson

Macho!, Victor Villaseñor

My Beloved World, Sonia Sotomayor

New Moon, Stephanie Meyer

The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg

Red Roses, Christine Lindop

River, Ed Hansen

The Saw That Talked, Tana Reiff

The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd

To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee

Travels: 8 Stories from Around the World, Burton Goodman

Twilight, Stephanie Meyer