Future of the Library and Literacy

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April 2009 Library Literacy Virtual Summit Speakers in Washinton DC

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation recently surveyed the library community to determine the priorities for the Library of the Future. Of those responding, a little over 10% thought that literacy was an important role for the library. About 15% thought learning was an important role. The respondents included Digital Literacy as part of literacy.

Here are the roles that library staff and library leaders thought were most important:

1.  Help navigate and curate information 32%
2. A community center or gathering place 30%
3. Provide community programs and services 24%
4. Provide technology access and training 20%
5. Will be a space for learning 16%
6. Bridge the digital divide 15%
7. Provide literacy programs (just over)10%
8. Stay the same (just under 10%)

As you can see, there is not an overwhelming consensus on what your library should be doing by 2018.

What do you think the role of the library should be in five or more years?  If, you work within a library literacy program, how do you make the case that adult literacy programs are important? If you are in a community based group, what role should your public library be playing in learning?

Share your comments and thoughts below.

VALF's President is serving on a Community of Practice CoP for library literacy that will be developing a library literacy action agenda.  The CoP was formed through a partnership between the American Library Association and ProLiteracy. The CoP will be meeting in early September 2013 to finalize the agenda. Add your comments to help inform the work of the CoP







 

Health Literacy Resources & Summitt

Florida will have a health literacy summit on July 26, http://www.floridaliteracy.org/healthsummit.html. You can get free health information through your computer at the Florida Electronic library. Learn about it in a previous post.  

The site has magazine articles and the following reference books which can be searched. Some health problems, like diabetes, require more reading than others. If your student has a health problem, learning to read medical terms might be one of his goals. If so, you could include lessons that include vocabulary to help them.


A-Z Diseases & Conditions
Health and Wellness Resource Center
Health Reference Center Academic
Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine
Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer
Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders

New Adult Literacy Brochure

I am pleased to see that ProLiteracy has come out with a new fact sheet that we all can use. We now need one that gives the same picture in Florida. We also want to collect samples from Florida volunteer literacy programs.

This national brochure emphasizes the importance of teaching adult literacy and basic education and demonstrates the links between literacy and the workforce, finances, and health.
They provided this brochure to you in two different formats:

1. A version meant to be printed in color on 11x17 paper, trimmed, and folded
   in accordion style. This version is best taken to a copy center or printer.
2. A version meant to be printed double-sided in color on 8.5x11 paper and stapled.

It looks similar to an infographics style brochure. If you have a sample of a brochure you are willing to share, please send it to valflorida@hotmail.com and we will post on our public wiki for our members.

Thanks,
Sandy Newell

Advocates Important for Library Literacy Program Successes!

West Palm Beach County Library AdultLiteracy Project was under threat of closure 20 years ago, one of several programs being considered for elimination. The program started in 1985. This week they are celebrating their survival and all of their acheivements this week.

 According to their most recent newsletter,
 

" It was twenty years ago, in the Spring of 1993, that motivated a group of volunteer tutors to do whatever they could to not let the program come to an end. This group of activists incorporated themselves as The Friends of Literacy (later renamed Library Literacy Friends, Inc.), and with great enthusiasm and purpose, put together an effort that made it possible for all of us to be adult literacy tutors today. "

Update on President's Budget

As most of you know, the President released his budget this past week. It looks like literacy is doing a little better than last year according to ProLiteracy.

For fiscal year 2014, President Obama has requested level funding at $595 million for adult basic education and literacy programs as compared to last year's funding levels. This amount includes $74.7 million for English Literacy/Civics Education. With sequestration and continuing resolutions, a level-funding proposal can be considered a modest success when other beneficial programs are being cut.

The president requested a small increase ($3 million) for National Leadership Programs, funding it in FY2014 at $14.3 million. The additional funding would be used for new grant awards to support reentry education models.

In Florida, it doesn't look like this will make much of a difference, since FDOE is only continuing current grants.  If your volunteer program does not have a grant or is not connected with someone who does, you won't get any new money this year.

VALF will be announcing our grant award winners at our annual meeting on May 10 in Captiva. 

How Is Your Literacy Program Preparing for the New GEDTest

The new test is supposed to better prepare adults for careers or college.  Thus literacy programs are starting to prepare adult students today. Of course, students in volunteer adult literacy programs must first gain the basic reading and writing skills before taking the step of passing the GED. It will be important for tutors to blend in computer literacy skills for students who don't have them (often someone 40 years old or older). This might mean you need to include computer literacy for your older volunteers.

It takes between 18 months and 2 years to prepare for the current test.  It will likely be the same or longer, depending on the background of adult learners.  So, adult students enrolling today, will likely be taking the new test.

Share what your program is doing to prepare....  

VALF Annual Meeting -- May 10

I hope to see you at our annual meeting at the Florida Literacy Conference in Captiva. Our meeting will be on Friday, May 10, at 8:30 a.m. One of our board members, Mary Quijano will be presenting the following program.

Session Title: Improving Employability for ELLs: Accent Reduction & Other VALF Tips

Session Description: Attend our VALF (Volunteers for Adult Literacy in Florida) annual meeting that follows an INTERACTIVE mini-workshop on learning techniques to reduce ELL Students’ accents due to irregular letter sounds, silent letters, skipped syllables, etc., including a list of free/inexpensive Apps for ELL Students (ESL Apps). Attend and have the chance to win a door prize and to learn about VALF activities.