CAELA: ESL Resources: Digests. Eileen Mc. Murrer, Arlington County Public Library (Virginia)Lynda Terrill, National Center for ESL Literacy Education. Find Literacy Programs; Overview; Mission & Values; Adult Literacy Services. 30 Years of Library Literacy. Judi Cunha shares the joy and success she feels volunteering as an adult literacy tutor at the library. This digest summarizes the history of public libraries and library literacy programs; describes current delivery models. The American Library Association (ALA) Office for Literacy and Outreach Services (OLOS). The Literacy Information and Communication System serves as a national resource for adult education and literacy programs, coordinates literacy services and policy. America's Literacy Directory Home| LINCS|Site Map. American Library Association 50 E. Huron St. The Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services drives activities around three professional issues which collectively support equity and. Adult Literacy @ your library. LIBRARY-LITERACY FAQ’S. The library literacy programs that participated in the Wallace Foundation’s initiative developed publications. American Library Association. 2004 Annual Conference. Orlando, Florida. September 2. 00. 1In 2. English language learners (U. S. Department of Education Office of Vocational and Adult Education, 2. Many such programs have waiting lists, and programs of all kinds are expanding to serve the needs of adult English language learners. Public libraries, historically active in their support for literacy, have been increasing resources and programs to meet the literacy needs of immigrant adults and their families (American Library Association Office for Literacy and Outreach Services [ALA/OLOS], 2. Constantino, 1. 99. This digest summarizes the history of public libraries and library literacy programs; describes current delivery models; and discusses initiatives in library literacy, profiling one successful public library program that serves adult English language learners and their families. History Of Library Literacy Programs. As early as 1. 62. Puritans bound for Salem, Massachusetts, included a collection of books in their cargo; in 1. Robert Keayne willed money for the founding of a public library in Boston (Shera, 1. While many early libraries resided in universities, later industrialist philanthropists, such as Enoch Pratt and Andrew Carnegie, endowed public libraries and stipulated that local governments also provide financial support for local community libraries. Pratt's credo, "My library shall be for all, rich and poor without distinction of race or color," resonates among libraries today (Schuchat, 1. In the 1. 96. 0s, the federal War on Poverty Program increased funding to help support literacy programs (Comings & Cuban, 2. Individual states and communities have continued to fund projects to reach increasingly diverse local populations. From 1. 98. 8 to 1. California State Library funded the Partnerships for Change Program, which involved 2. California State Library & Library of California, 2. Delivery Models. In 1. Library Research Center at the University of Illinois in Champaign- Urbana conducted a survey that found that 9. Comings & Cuban, 2. Current Initiatives. The American Library Association (ALA) Office for Literacy and Outreach Services (OLOS) supports a nationwide effort to enhance the literacy services of local libraries to "encourage opportunities for maximum intellectual participation for underserved populations" (ALA/OLOS, 1. Since 1. 99. 9, OLOS has sponsored a Diversity Fair at the annual ALA conference. Broward County, Florida, publishes a quarterly Welcome Home Newsletter in six languages that covers topics of interest to new immigrants. Broward and Miami- Dade counties collaborate on the Pan African Bookfest and Cultural Conference, which focuses on topics of concern to people of African descent. The Storm Lake (Iowa) Public Library's Book Bridges Program includes local Hispanic and Asian leaders and organizations as partners in this town of 9,0. ALA/OLOS, 2. 00. 0). Since 1. 99. 6, the Library Literacy Initiative funded by the Lila Wallace- Reader's Digest Fund (2. English. For example, the Queens Borough Public Library has served thousands of adults in its literacy programs. In one program at the Steinway Adult Learning Center, immigrants from more than 6. Profile of a Public Library Program: Arlington County, Virginia. Arlington County, Virginia, is an ethnically diverse community of 1. Arlington Public Schools, 2. U. S. Census Bureau, 2. In 2. 0 years, Arlington County Public Library's (ACPL) services to new immigrants have grown from a small collection of materials to an integrated county- wide system. Following is a chronology of how, through the development of programs, one community has been able to meet the needs of its immigrant residents. In the 1. 98. 0s, with the arrival of Vietnamese and Cuban refugees in Arlington County, ACPL added small collections of materials in Vietnamese, Spanish, and English for nonnative speakers. Today these collections have expanded to reflect the languages and cultures of all of Arlington's diverse neighborhoods. In the early 1. 99. ACPL established connections with local agencies working with immigrants. The library launched an adult new readers' book discussion program with help from teachers in Arlington Education and Employment Program (REEP). The discussion groups continue to meet at two locations. Funding is provided by the Southland Corporation and the Friends of Arlington County Public Library, a nonprofit local group that raises funds for the library system. In the mid 1. 99. ACPL launched satellite collections and weekly story times at four of the county's Bilingual Outreach Centers. The Centers, located in apartment complexes with large immigrant populations, were established by the county to assist with adjustment to life in a new culture. The programs, collections, and services at the Centers acquaint immigrants with the services available through the library system. Initially funded with grants from the Virginia State Library, the U. S. Department of Education, Community Development Block Grants and Friends of the Library, the Outreach Centers' libraries are now funded by ACPL's operating budget. In the late 1. 99. Advisors ranged from the coordinator of the Queens Public Library New Americans Program to local community leaders. A work group was charged with developing an organized program of services for the immigrant community. One of its outcomes was a welcome brochure that explains library terms in clear, everyday English. In 2. 00. 0, a "Cyber. Center" computer learning lab was instituted at a library branch in a neighborhood with a large immigrant population. Grant funding provided computer equipment for the lab, staffed primarily by a coordinator and volunteers. In its first year of operation, Cyber. Center served over 1. With funding from the Gates Foundation, a Cyber. Center at the Central Library opened in June 2. Young Adult Services' library staff work with the county schools. Two middle schools host library- sponsored discussion groups for immigrant learners. Staff make presentations to parent groups at schools with diverse populations and have hosted "family evenings" at the library for Spanish- language parent groups, where stories in Spanish and potluck dinners provide a festive atmosphere. ACPL staff reflect the community they serve. The library recruits, hires, and promotes staff from various ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Bilingual staff members wear badges printed (in the specific language) with "I speak Spanish," "I speak Amharic," "I speak Vietnamese," and so forth. Conclusion. Public libraries have changed throughout U. S. history to become increasingly inclusive of the communities they serve. The efforts of the American Library Association, granting institutions, and local libraries are helping to address the complex literacy needs of adult English language learners and their families. Arlington County Public Library's long- term plan of working with local partners and shifting available, stable resources to meet and sustain the needs of immigrant learners is a promising model for communities throughout the United States. References. American Library Association Office for Literacy and Outreach Services. About OLOS: Mission statement. Chicago: Author. http: //www. American Library Association Office for Literacy and Outreach Services. June). The American Library Association Office for Literacy and Outreach Services (OLOS) 3rd Annual Diversity Fair. Chicago: Author. http: //www. Arlington Public Schools. Student demographics. Arlington, VA: Author. California State Library & Library of California. March). Partnerships for change expands original program. Connection, p. 8. Web newsletter] http: //www. CSL_Connection_Mar. Comings, J. T., & Cuban, S. So I made up my mind: Introducing a study of adult learner persistence in library literacy programs. New York: Wallace- Reader's Digest Funds. Reports. 20. 00/MDRCLib. Lit. pdf Constantino, R. Ed.). (1. 99. 8). Literacy, access, and libraries among the language minority population. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. Lila Wallace- Reader's Digest Fund. Libraries and literacy: A natural partnership. Focus: Adult Literacy. New York: Author. Schuchat, T. (1. 98. The library book. Seattle, WA: Madrona Press. Shera, J. H. (1. 96. Foundations of the public library: The origins of the public library movement in New England 1. North Haven, CT: Shoe String Press. U. S. Census Bureau. Arlington County 2. Washington, DC: Author. U. S. Department of Education Office of Vocational and Adult Education. Adult education data and statistics. Washington, DC: Author. OVAE/datahome. html This document was produced at the Center for Applied Linguistics (4. Street, NW, Washington, DC 2. U. S. Department of Education (ED), Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE), under Contract No. ED- 9. 9- CO- 0. 00. The opinions expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of ED. This document is in the public domain and may be reproduced without permission.
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