Comments for Build Literacy http://buildliteracy.org/blog Literacy for All Mon, 06 Sep 2010 11:09:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 Comment on Clarion: From the California State Library by Sandy Newell http://buildliteracy.org/blog/?p=10&cpage=1#comment-6 Sandy Newell Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:35:10 +0000 http://buildliteracy.org/blog/?p=10#comment-6 California has such a great history with literacy in Public Libraries. They are one of the many leaders we can turn to, to see how it is done. California has such a great history with literacy in Public Libraries. They are one of the many leaders we can turn to, to see how it is done.

]]> Comment on Welcome to the BuildLiteracy.org blog by Hilda Weisburg http://buildliteracy.org/blog/?p=3&cpage=1#comment-4 Hilda Weisburg Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:00:29 +0000 http://buildliteracy.org/blog/?p=3#comment-4 As an at-home viewer/listener on my computer, I found the webcast to be informative and inspiring. I have this mental image of literacy being a giant house with many rooms for the various types now being discussed: information literacy, health literacy, legal literacy, etc. But the main room, the one you must pass through to get to all the others is the ability to read and comprehend text. Adults who haven’t been able to enter this main room cannot begin to understand what is in the other rooms. ALA champions equity of access to information. Those unable to read do not have access to information. As librarians we must all take responsibility to ensure that every adult and child has the skills to enter the house of literacy. As an at-home viewer/listener on my computer, I found the webcast to be informative and inspiring. I have this mental image of literacy being a giant house with many rooms for the various types now being discussed: information literacy, health literacy, legal literacy, etc. But the main room, the one you must pass through to get to all the others is the ability to read and comprehend text. Adults who haven’t been able to enter this main room cannot begin to understand what is in the other rooms. ALA champions equity of access to information. Those unable to read do not have access to information. As librarians we must all take responsibility to ensure that every adult and child has the skills to enter the house of literacy.

]]> Comment on Welcome to the BuildLiteracy.org blog by Mark Pumphrey http://buildliteracy.org/blog/?p=3&cpage=1#comment-3 Mark Pumphrey Sun, 12 Apr 2009 22:01:02 +0000 http://buildliteracy.org/blog/?p=3#comment-3 Now, we must focus on keeping the momentum going--by communicating with the federal government in an effort to restore funding for library literacy programs; by communicating with the American Library Association Executive Board, to encourage the formation of a task force to draft an association-wide statement on literacy as a core goal and product of libraries; by communicating with all units of ALA to encourage representation at the ALA Literacy Assembly and to stress the need for representatives to have a place on the agendas of unit meetings to report back to the ALA unit on each meeting of the ALA Literacy Assembly; by communicating with state library associations across the country to encourage the formation of literacy committees or roundtables within every state library association in which their members may participate; to communicate with state literacy associations to foster joint programs and partnerships with state library associations; and perhaps most importantly, at the local level, to provide products to train front line staff and volunteers to become advocates for the role of libraries in providing. literacy services to local communities, and to foster an understanding by all local library staff that, if you work at a library, literacy is your job. Following our webcast this week, I was contacted by Mr. John Corcoran, founder and president of the John Corcoran Foundation, Inc., a literacy agency with a wide focus. lt occurs to me that we can also add as a goal reaching out to agencies of this kind (also World Education, LVA and Laubach Literacy International, etc.) to develop partnerships with libraries. We have much work ahead of us, and this is a pivotal time in our efforts to solidify the role libraries play in the provision of literacy services. But it is important work, and we must rise to the challenge. Now, we must focus on keeping the momentum going–by communicating with the federal government in an effort to restore funding for library literacy programs; by communicating with the American Library Association Executive Board, to encourage the formation of a task force to draft an association-wide statement on literacy as a core goal and product of libraries; by communicating with all units of ALA to encourage representation at the ALA Literacy Assembly and to stress the need for representatives to have a place on the agendas of unit meetings to report back to the ALA unit on each meeting of the ALA Literacy Assembly; by communicating with state library associations across the country to encourage the formation of literacy committees or roundtables within every state library association in which their members may participate; to communicate with state literacy associations to foster joint programs and partnerships with state library associations; and perhaps most importantly, at the local level, to provide products to train front line staff and volunteers to become advocates for the role of libraries in providing. literacy services to local communities, and to foster an understanding by all local library staff that, if you work at a library, literacy is your job.

Following our webcast this week, I was contacted by Mr. John Corcoran, founder and president of the John Corcoran Foundation, Inc., a literacy agency with a wide focus. lt occurs to me that we can also add as a goal reaching out to agencies of this kind (also World Education, LVA and Laubach Literacy International, etc.) to develop partnerships with libraries.

We have much work ahead of us, and this is a pivotal time in our efforts to solidify the role libraries play in the provision of literacy services. But it is important work, and we must rise to the challenge.

]]> Comment on Welcome to the BuildLiteracy.org blog by Sandy Newell http://buildliteracy.org/blog/?p=3&cpage=1#comment-2 Sandy Newell Thu, 09 Apr 2009 11:47:51 +0000 http://buildliteracy.org/blog/?p=3#comment-2 We did have an exciting time in Washington DC with our first library literacy summit this week My challenge to you, whether or not you watched the webcast, is to do something within the next few weeks related to literacy with your library. For those who missed it, the Webcast will be archived soon. If you are relatively new, the first step is to learn more. Post your questions here. Browse this site. If you are experienced, share your knowledge with others and try out new ideas. Tell us how they work (or didn't work). Our ALA Committee on Literacy and the many experienced library literacy practitioners, librarians, and our literacy partners can help you. We are now a library literacy community! Let's learn together and work to always do more. We did have an exciting time in Washington DC with our first library literacy summit this week My challenge to you, whether or not you watched the webcast, is to do something within the next few weeks related to literacy with your library. For those who missed it, the Webcast will be archived soon.

If you are relatively new, the first step is to learn more. Post your questions here. Browse this site. If you are experienced, share your knowledge with others and try out new ideas. Tell us how they work (or didn’t work).

Our ALA Committee on Literacy and the many experienced library literacy practitioners, librarians, and our literacy partners can help you. We are now a library literacy community! Let’s learn together and work to always do more.

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