The California Library Association is pleased to dedicate this edition of the Clarion, the bi-annual publication for library professionals in California, to the adult learners, volunteer tutors, literacy staff, librarians and library supporters who have dedicated themselves to improve adult literacy skills. For twenty-five years, California Library Literacy Services (CLLS) has provided free, one-on-one, volunteer-based literacy services to adults in public library settings across the state. In 2007/08, over 20,000 adults received literacy services and changed their lives with better reading and writing skills. The authors of the Clarion articles include former State Librarian of California, Susan Hildreth, library directors, literacy coordinators, and project volunteers. We hope you enjoy reading their stories and are moved to take action to build adult literacy services in your library and community. For more information on CLLS, please visit our website at www.libraryliteracy.org.

This blog has been a very long time in coming! We’ve been envisioning this kind of communications tool since 1999. It’s very appropriate to be launching the blog and the retooled buildliteracy site today. ALA’s Committee on Literacy and the National Institute for Literacy are holding the first Library Literacy Summit Webcast. This seminal event brings together librarians who are passionate about literacy across the lifespan and in libraries. Their passion translates into actions and their actions into change that ripples through the library ecosystem and really does change lives. Today, I’m urging you to visit the site, check out the resources, and post messages. It’s your chance to talk with our library leaders, share your stories, ask questions, and contribute resources.
Our goal is to keep this site current and relevant and we need your imput to make it happen. I’m looking forward to reading your comments, hearing your stories, and working with you to build literacy in libraries.

Dale Lipschultz

Literacy Officer, OLOS, ALA