Monday, January 25, 2016

Redlands Library - Hires First Full-Time Literacy Coordinator

REDLANDS: Library hires first full-time literacy coordinator
New library coordinator in Redlands will help bolster programs in adult literacy effort
Press Enterprise: 1.22.2016 by Penny E Schwartz

After five years as a volunteer tutor, Diane Shimota has become the first full-time paid coordinator of the adult literacy program at A.K. Smiley Library in Redlands.

A combination of money allocated by the city last year for a part-time coordinator and grant money from the state has enabled the Redlands program to hire a full-time coordinator for the first time.

“Diane’s experience as a tutor and as a computer teacher make her perfect for the position,” said principal librarian Daniel Slota.

Tutoring always has been part of her job, said Shimota, who has worked in the computer mapping and forestry and fire protection fields.

Through tutoring in the adult literacy program, she has worked with learners of varying levels of language competency. “They have had different goals and needs,” she said of the adults she has tutored at Smiley Library and the off-site facility at Clement Middle School.

Tutoring adult literacy students is rewarding when they can accomplish their goals, said Shimota, a Redlands resident. “When they can read a whole story or go to the doctor by themselves, I find it fulfilling,” she said.

She also dubs herself a “champion for computer literacy” and has taught a series of computer classes to learners in the program. “In order to succeed in today’s world, people need basic computer skills,” she said.

The responsibilities of her new position will include working with the state library system as well as with the program’s 70 pairs of learners and tutors, who usually meet weekly for lessons and quarterly for round-table discussions. She will schedule assessment sessions with a backlog of applicants to pair them with their best matches as tutors, she said.  READ MORE @

Saturday, January 23, 2016

Los Angeles Public Library | Changing lives one chapter at a time :: It's A Match

Adult Literacy Services | Changing lives one chapter at a time:
It’s a Match Part I

Melinda’s Story
For 5 years I was working late hours and finding myself in the routine of work-eat-sleep, work-eat-sleep. For those 5 years I was serving only myself and not feeling very content. After making a career switch, I finally found myself with extra time and I wanted to spend that time doing something that would make a difference. I found the adult literacy program through an online volunteer website and applied immediately. I loved reading even before I mastered the alphabet (I was an ESL student when starting school). I have tutored before but never with adults, so I was nervous about my qualifications. The staff at Singleton Adult Literacy Center replied back right away and within a week, they had found an adult reader for me to tutor, Ms. Christine Davis.

My experience with the reading program has been very rewarding. Christine buses from 20 miles away to meet in the downtown Central Library for our reading sessions. She’s very appreciative of our time together and always has a positive anecdote to share. Christine’s reading comprehension has markedly improved since we started, but it’s a long road for her. Her goal is to be able to read in front of people with confidence and to be able to read and understand important documents on her own. We’ve been working together for over a year now and it is her determination and her commitment that keeps me focused on helping her succeed. The best part is I can tell when something makes sense to her, as if I can see it click in her mind. It’s this wonderful “a-ha” moment that we share and it feels great.

Christine’s Story By learner Christine Davis
I came by knowing the Adult Literacy program back in 1998. I saw two people sitting in a room working and I asked the librarian who explained about the literacy program. I signed up after that. I got a tutor in four months, but it did not work out due to timing. I came downtown back in March 28, 2013 to sign back up. It took almost a year to get a tutor. My goals is to do better in my reading to prepare for my high school diploma and feel comfortable reading in front of people.

I volunteer as inspector at the voting polls and I have to swear people in by reading a book. It is hard to pronounce some words and I feel embarrassed. I have been coming here a year and a half now, I feel good because I am no longer ashamed of reading in front of someone. Starting Challenger 1 was not easy, but now I am in Challenger 4 and working on the upgrade reading and math program. I did not care about math, but now I do. Thank God for having the door open for new things. The timing was good because I know that I have someone to help me and she cares. Her name is Ms. Melinda.  READ MORE @

Saturday, January 16, 2016

Altadena Library :: Give the Gift of Reading and Writing

Give the Gift of Reading and Writing
Altadena Library~Know It All: Jan 2016

The new year is a great time to be grateful for the things you can do. But maybe there is room for a new challenge. If you can read this, imagine someone who cannot. Do you have time to help?  We need volunteers.  At the Bob Lucas Memorial Library and Literacy Center, the Literacy Department's goal is to help adults improve their reading and writing skills. Our Literacy Coordinator, Edward William, matches a volunteer tutor to a learner and that's when the work starts.  Tutors help learners with a wide range of skill building: learning the alphabet, letters and sounds; reading a book, newspaper, or magazine; writing a letter; learning to type; filling out a job application; preparing for the GED test; basic computing skills and more.

The tutor and learner arrange their own study sessions – deciding  how often to meet, when to meet, and where to meet. Typically, one tutor is assigned to one learner and a tutor and learner meet once a week for an hour. We also offer print and online study materials for the tutors to use for their teaching sessions or for learners to study on their own. Edward is available to offer support to the tutors and there are tutor workshops during the year so that the tutors can meet each other and share ideas and tips.

If you would like to give the gift of reading and writing by becoming a volunteer tutor, you need to attend a six hour online training workshop. Volunteers learn about literacy, teaching methods, lesson planning, and learning styles during their training sessions. Volunteers may train on their own computer or use one of our library computers. Many of our volunteers have expressed the joy it gives them to see their learners making progress.

The Literacy Center also offers a small group ESL class that meets Monday & Thursday mornings. As students of the ESL class make progress, they can advance into the Literacy program and work one-on-one with a tutor.  READ MORE @

Friday, January 8, 2016

Governor Brown Releases 2016-17 Budget: New Money for California Library Services Act

Governor Brown Releases 2016-17 Budget:
New Money for California Library Services Act
News From the Capitol: 1.07.2016 by Mike Dillon, Christina DiCaro, CLA Lobbyists

This morning in a press conference at the State Capitol, Governor Jerry Brown released the 2016-17 State Budget, which includes a proposal to provide $4.8 million in new funding for the purpose of enhancing the California Library Services Act.  This funding would be in addition to the $1.8 million that is currently appropriated for the CLSA.

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In light of his cautious approach to this year’s Budget, we are pleased to see that Governor Brown has identified $4.8 million in new funding for public libraries under the CLSA, as a sign of his support for their valuable services.  Specifically the Budget notes:
California Library Services Act – An increase of $1.8 million General Fund ongoing and $3 million General Fund on a one-time basis for the California Library Services Act program.  These funds will be used to strengthen statewide and regional services for public libraries.”

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Newport Beach Library :: Newport/Mesa ProLiteracy ~ GreatNonprofits Top-Rated Award

Newport/Mesa ProLiteracy
GreatNonprofits Top-Rated Award

Congratulations Newport/Mesa ProLiteracy, a GreatNonprofits Top-Rated 2015 Award !


Nonprofit Issues: Children & Youth
Address: 1000 Avocado Ave Newport Beach CA 92660 USA
Mission: To develop the literacy skills of adults to empower them to achieve greater success in their lives - at home, at work and in the community
Target demographics: adult learners
Direct beneficiaries per year: over 200 adult learners
Geographic areas served: our community
Programs: one-on-one tutoring and small group classes in reading, writing, life skills, job skills and more.

The GreatNonprofits Top-Rated Awards is a people’s choice award where volunteers, donors, and people served cast their vote in the form of a review to express their appreciation, and even potentially win nonprofits a spot on the prestigious GreatNonprofits Top-Rated Nonprofits List.

To qualify, receive 10 positive (4 stars or above) reviews and have an overall positive average (of >3.5 stars) during the campaign period (January 1 to October 31).

Winners will be announced each month from April 1 to October 31, and will get a FREE 2015 Top-Rated nonprofit badge via email, and will be promoted by GreatNonprofits and our media partners

Sunday, January 3, 2016

Super Easy, No-Fail New Year's Resolution! Greg Lucas, California State Librarian

Super Easy, No-Fail New Year's Resolution!
December 28, 2015


California State ‪‎Librarian, Greg Lucas,
offers a New Year's Resolution that is super easy and fun!
How can you go wrong?

Saturday, January 2, 2016

National Literacy & Library Events :: January 2016

National Literacy & Library Events: January 2016

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


Jan. 3+ Hawaii International Conference on Education. Honolulu HI
Jan. 7 Natl Ambassador Young People’s Literature Inauguration, Library of Congress 11a
Jan. 8+ ALA Midwinter 2016, Boston MA   #alamw16 @alamw
Jan. 9 Autism Sensory Friendly #Films STAR WARS THE FORCE AWAKENS 10a
Jan. 12 Autism Sensory Friendly #Films STAR WARS THE FORCE AWAKENS 7p
Jan. 12+ Future of Education Technology Conference, Orlando FL   @fetc  #FETC
Jan. 20+ Literacy and Reading Recovery Conference, Chicago IL   @NationalLouisU
Jan. 23 Autism Sensory Friendly #Films NORM OF THE NORTH 10a
Jan. 25+ Cowboy Poetry Gathering, Elko NV   @Westernfolklife
Jan. 26 Autism Sensory Friendly Films RIDE ALONG 2 7p
Jan. 27 Family Literacy Day Canada
Jan. 27+ Mentoring Summit, Wash DC @MENTORnational #NationalMentoringMonth  
Jan. 29+ Literacy for/and Social Justice, Athens GA  @Jolle_uga