Circle of Literacy Blog

Serving Non-English Speakers in U.S. Public Libraries

2008-03-27T10:41:00.000-07:00

American Library Association (ALA) study provides new information about library services and programs developed for non-English speakers, including effectiveness of services, barriers to library use, most frequently used services and most success library programs by language served.
http://www.ala.org/ala/olos/nonenglishspeakers/

The American Dream Starts @ Your Library TOOLKIT!

2008-02-02T17:34:00.000-08:00

Great new toolkit http://www.americandreamtoolkit.org/
is now available and sponsored by the ALA and the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. The toolkit offers tools, resources, models and examples with a
focus on services to immigrants to the USA.

"For generations, the public library has been the cornerstone of the American dream. The library collects the heritage of the American past and shapes the promise of the future. The library also helps immigrants hold on to their native words and customs so that they can tell their stories, preserve their culture, and share their wisdom across generations"

Congratulations to all who contributed!

The toolkit was done in conjunction with ALA President Loriene Roy's Platform component: The Circle of Literacy - which includes reaching out to immigrants in the USA and around the world, indigenous youth, and the incarcerated.

Crossword Puzzle

2008-02-02T12:35:00.000-08:00

Here is the crossword puzzle that Narda came up with. I'll get it uploaded to the website soon.
Kit

Gathering of Readers Crossword Puzzle

2008-01-02T13:48:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,
Here are some clues and answers for a possible Jingle Dancer crossword puzzle. Is there any way that this could be put on the Gathering website? If you have more clues and answers please feel free to add them!
Thank you,
Narda

======================
Jingle Dancer – Crossword Puzzle -- Answers & Questions

Tink What sound do the jingles make?
Powwow Where will Jenna dance?
Moccasins What type of shoes does Jenna wear to the dance?
Four How many rows of jingles does Jenna need for her dress?
Bat What animal did great-aunt Sis tell Jenna a story about?
Ball Game What type of game did the animal win?
Fry Bread What type of food will Mrs. Scott be making at the powwow?
Brum What sound does the drum make?
Regalia What is the word for the highly valued clothing and accessories of a dancer?
Autumn What time of year is it in the story?
Lawyer What type of job does Jenna’s cousin Elizabeth have?

Gathering of Readers Contest

2007-12-21T08:25:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,
Here are some "rules" and an announcement for our contest. Please look them over and suggest changes!
Thanks to everyone,
Narda
===================================================================
The “Gathering of Readers” is pleased to announce a Reading Contest for students in all grades from participating schools. The Reading Contest is offered to students in three levels: Level I is for students in grades Kindergarten through 3; Level II is for students in grades 4 through 7; and Level III is for students in grades 8 through 12.

Members of the Circle of Literacy Task Force will choose winners for each level at each participating school. Each winning student will receive a bag of books and writing supplies as prizes. Each winning student’s work will be published on the “Gathering of Readers” website. All participating students will receive a certificate of merit and a gift.

Level I: Grades Kindergarten through 3
Art Contest:
Students will draw a scene from their favorite book. Drawings should be no larger than 8.5 inches x 14 inches. Students may use crayons, pencils, magic markers, pens or any other medium they like. Drawings may be decorated with scraps of fabric, buttons, lace, etc. Students should include a caption describing the scene they have drawn at the bottom of their picture.
Drawings will be judged on: originality, use of details from the book being depicted and accurate description of the scene being drawn.

Level II: Grades 4 through 7. Write a letter of 250 – 500 words.
Level III: Grades 8 through 12. Write a letter of 500 – 750 words.
Letter Writing Contest:
Students will write a letter addressed to an author (living or deceased) of a book they have recently read and about which they have strong feelings. Students should tell the author how reading their book (include the book’s title) has changed the way they think about themselves and/or the world around them. They should explain how the book affected them. Here are some tips students can use for writing an effective letter:
Do not summarize the plot of the book! Remember, a letter is a correspondence between you and the author not a book report/review.
Avoid the temptation to compliment instead of correspond.
Do include questions that you might want to ask the author about his/her book.
Look for ways to get the reader's attention in your letter.

Each letter should include the student’s name and school address in the upper left corner of the first page of the letter. Letters should be typed or printed using ink (no pencil). Letters must be legible. Illegible letters will be disqualified.

Letters will be judged on : content and organization; originality and expression; and grammatical correctness.

Contest deadline: ???

FERGUSON LIBRARY BLOG IN SPANISH

2007-10-30T07:24:00.000-07:00

This blog has regional/national issues posted. Also you can find helpful links to ESL sites and valuable information about what immigrants can do when faced with raids from the US immigration department...
http://fergusonblog.org/spanishblog/
Also check out their webpage "Serving Stamford's Multilingual Community" where you can find Fergurson blog for New Americans and other interesting links...
http://www.fergusonlibrary.org/mult_languages/wlang.htm

San Diego County Library and CA Native Americans

2007-10-09T16:53:00.000-07:00

San Diego County Library's webpage acknowledges the presence of California nations in the state. I saw a posting on the California Library Association CALIX distribution list recently and it highlighted the SDCL page for Native American Day which is the fourth Friday of every September in California.
http://www.sdcl.org/NativeAmericanDay.html
The Four Directions Institute looked interesting to me in that it has a page which highlights the languages of many California nations - so relevant to non-traditionial forms of "literacy" i.e. the oral tradition.
http://www.fourdir.com/california_indians_index.htm
and the library site has links to 8 California tribal websites
There are other resources and links.
San Diego County Library seems to be in sync with ALA President Roy's platform on Celebrating Community, Collaboration, and Culture!
Have fun looking it over!

Thanks to SDCL Polly Cipparrone for posting on the CALIX list.

DIVERSITY COOKBOOK

2007-10-03T13:21:00.000-07:00

Webjuction has posted information about a very interesting online database developed by librarians at the Ocean County Library, The Diversity Cookbook. Focus Communities include African American/Black, American Indian, Asian American/Asian/Pacific Islander, Differently Abled, Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgendered, Hispanic/Latino, Multiracial/Interracial, Other, Religious Diversity, Staff, or Women.
http://www.webjunction.org/do/DisplayContent?id=17879

Tribute to San Luis Rey Band of Luiseno Indians

2007-10-02T13:04:00.000-07:00

I met Monica Chapa-Domercq a couple of weekends ago at a joint meeting of Southern California Chapters of REFORMA (http://www.reforma.org/). She let me know about this tribute below. A great model and homage and so important... She sent the information below:

The Oceanside Public Library just did a tribute to the indigenous people of the San Luis Rey Valley in which
Oceanside (California) is located. It was called Payomkawichum (People of the West). Artifacts, photos and art of the San Luis Rey Band of Luiseño Indians were exhibited. Here is a link to the flyer: http://www.slrmissionindians.org/

Multilingual Literacy

2007-10-02T12:56:00.000-07:00

This looks like a great model for a multilingual, multicultural bookfair and great for bilingual, multilingual, family, and international literacy. Is there anybody that will be in San Diego? Monica posted this announcement on the REFORMA listserv. If you don't know about REFORMA you can go to http://www.reforma.org/

If you happen to be in the San Diego area on October 18, please consider joining us for the SERRA Multilingual Book Fair. The book fair helps fund the Serra Multicultural Library Scholarship administered by LIBROS, the San Diego Chapter of Reforma. Hope to see you there!
Saludos,
Monica Chapa Domercq
Serra Multilingual Book Fair
Thursday,
Oct. 18, 2007
10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Martin Luther King Community Center
140 E. 12th St.
National City, CA
(619) 470-5800
Librarians, Teachers and Book Lovers are welcome! Come browse a vast selection of current and quality materials from many national, Multilingual Booksellers. Displays include fiction and non-fiction, adult and children’s materials in various formats and languages (Arabic, Farsi, Tagalog, Chinese, Spanish, and many more!)
Free admission! Free parking! Free refreshments! Free Raffle!
Orders may be placed by purchase order, credit card, or cash. Books will be shipped.
On-site discounts from 10 - 25% are available. For a list of Multilingual Book vendors, go to http://www.serralib.org/
If you have questions, or would like to become a participating vendor, please contact Sandra Tauler, Calexico Camarena Memorial Library, (760) 768-2170, email: stauler@calexico.k12.ca.us

Fareed Zakaria! at Literacy Summit

2007-09-27T14:03:00.000-07:00

Verizon Literacy Summit.3, Webcast: Competitive Learning in a Global Economy

Fareed Zakaria will keynote the National Literacy Summit.3 Webcast, scheduled for Oct. 15 from 1-5 p.m. EST.

The summit brings together a wide range literacy leaders and community experts to discuss:
a. how technology drives the definition of literacy in a global economy;
b. the local impact of global literacy and technology issue and expectations;
c. why communities must address these challenges;
d. outcome-based strategies for community collaboration.

The event is sponsored by Verizon Foundation, American Library Association, , National Coalition for Literacy, National Center for Family Literacy, ProLiteracy Worldwide, and Georgetown University.

Widely respected for his ability to spot economic and political trends around the world,
Dr. Fareed Zakaria has developed an international reputation as a global thinker.
Dr. Zakaria is editor of Newsweek International and was named "one of the most
important people of the 21st century" by Esquire. Indian-born and trained as an
academic at Yale and Harvard Universities, Dr. Zakaria, at age 28, became the youngest
managing editor in the history of Foreign Affairs.

For more information http://literacynetwork.verizon.org/index.php?id=207

Foreign Countries Services to Immigrants

2007-09-24T11:26:00.000-07:00

These are interesting websites to check what other countries are doing to serve immigrant populations:

Toronto:

http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/mul_set_index.jsp

Denmark:

http://www.silkeborg-bibliotek.dk/hovedmenu/foreigners.html

Spain:

http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/cultura/ba/c/biblioMulticult/espanol/indiceBibliotecas.asp

http://www.bibliotecaspublicas.es/oviedo/espo.htm

2007-07-23T16:53:00.000-07:00

NPR's Market place aired a program tonight on the need for English language classes for immigrants. It featured people interested in acquiring English language skills who are on waiting lists for classes.

American Dream Project/Immigrant Literacy

2007-07-23T14:14:00.000-07:00

I was thinking about what Dale had said regarding the sensitivity surrounding the "American Dream Project" at our meeting in June. I couldn't help but think about the digital resources currently on the Occidental College website regarding Japanese-American Relocation during WWII. A number of those relocated were students at Occidental.

Just thought I would pass this site along:
http://departments.oxy.edu/digitalarch/web/

Narda

2007-07-21T16:24:00.001-07:00

Great project on prison library services!

Colleagues, I've learned about this wonderful effort:

http://www.seniornet.org/php/default.php?PageID=7729

Check it out!

Loriene

SIRLS gone wild!

2007-07-14T11:35:00.000-07:00

I'm wrapping up my time here in Tucson.
Thank you, Trejo Foster Foundation, for organizing a great event!
I was also pleased to hang out with some members of U of A's SIRLS (School of Information Resources and Library Science) LSO (Library Services Organization).
SIRLS received the 2007 New Members Roundtable (NMRT) Student Chapter of the Year Award! Congratulations LSO! And thank you---I'm a new owner of a "SIRLS gone wild" t-shirt, a collectable and coveted item.

In Tucson, Arizona!

2007-07-13T11:31:00.000-07:00

I'm fortunate to be in Tucson. My main purpose is to attend and participate in the Trejo Foster Foundation Institute. What a great opportunity to focus on this year's topic: Health Information for Hispanic/Latino Populations.

I arrived a day early in order to renew and make some new connections.

My best friend from my Arizona days, Beth Dewitt (Arizona State Museum) picked me up and we spent a half-day on the Tohono O'odham reservation. The tribal college hosted us and provided a wonderful feast, welcome, and blessing in O'odham language. The feast included traditional foods, including cholla buttons and local beans. We went to the indigenous seed project and then the tribal public library.

Yesterday's visits included one with the U of Arizona's SIRLS students, faculty, staff, and alums. I'm now a proud ower of a "SIRLS gone wild" t-shirt! I met Aaron, the student who did the design. SIRLS director, Dr. Jana Bradley, brought me to the Tucson Public Library. We also visited a research and teaching collection of multicultural children's literature on campus and toured the Arizona State Museum library.

Plus, lots of media interviews! More about that later!

Circle of Literacy/ASCLA program at Anaheim

2007-07-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

As many of you know we (COL incarcerated section) are co-sponsoring a program (with ASCLA and perhaps other divisions) at ALA annual next year and, believe it or not, planning is already behind. I need to present a more complete proposal by July 15 and hope y'all will comment. Although the focus will be on literacy programs in prison, the exact nature of the program needs fleshing out. My idea for the program revolves around "stories," that is relevant comments from prisoners, teachers, correctional librarians, program creaters, regarding their experiences with prison programs, successes, and problems. I haven't contacted anyone yet, but, if we can get people like Jimmy Santiago Baca and/or Carol Muske-Dukes; two former inmates who experienced literacy programs (a teen and an adult); and one or two correctional librarians or teachers of literacy programs, then we could offer an exciting and informative program. We would also present infomation about our work. Anyone who wants to comment can contact me at erayjames@gmail.com/

Poster Session at ALA!

2007-05-09T15:02:00.000-07:00

ALA's Literacy and Outreach Office notified me this afternoon that the prison literacy project section of the Circle of Literacy has been accepted for a poster session during the ALA Diversity Fair on Saturday, June 24. I'll have more details later. The notice presages a lot of work and I won't hesitate to ask for help. I hope those of you who are going to ALA, and who have time on that Saturday, will come to join in the program or just to listen. Having just finished a poster session (for the degree program) I'm glad there's a little time before I have to start a new one.

Joining the Blog

2007-05-05T07:05:00.000-07:00

Since I loose my UT email privledges in six months I thought that the COL blog would be the perfect vehicle to use to continue to communicate with all of you. I hope this serves to generate more interest in reading and using the blog to communicate, at a more considered pace, than emails, which can get shuffled out of our frame of reference by continually arriving new messages. Blog posts stay in sight longer. I'm working to get all of the material I collected in the Capstone on line but be patient as, with any new Web site built with unsure hands, there are technical problems to be worked out in the coming weeks until ALA in June. The URL is http://www.literacyinprison.com. I have that domain for a year and will likely renew it for the foreseeable future. It's just a few days old at this point so don't expect much but within a few weeks it should be walking and a few weeks after that ...
Ray James

John Wood's email

2006-08-21T08:14:00.000-07:00

Hi, all. Here is John Wood's email about his upcoming book.

"Dear Friends around the world,

"Did you know that 80% of all books are sold by word of mouth?

"I'm writing you because you can have a huge impact on the number of people who are introduced Room to Read through my upcoming book, Leaving Microsoft to Change the World.

"There are only 50 days until the book hits the shelves on August 29th! With your help, the next seven weeks could set us up for incredible success, which would mean millions of dollars raised for children of the developing world.

"We are hoping to enlist an army of over 5,000 "buzz agents" who will spread the word about the book and book-related events during my 20-city, 3-month tour. There are 500 of you on this mailing list, so we're 10% there! I'm asking for your help in getting the other 4,500 ... ideally by the end of next week!

"Here's how it works. I'm asking each of you to email or talk live with 10 friends whom you think might be impressed with Room to Read's mission and who might enjoy hearing more about our story. All they have to agree to do is to receive a FREE electronic copy of Chapter 1, which chronicles my first visit to a rural Nepali school that had 450 students, but less than 20 books. It was here that the vision of Room to Read was born.

"To receive a copy, all you, or they, have to do us reply to this email with the words "Chapter 1" in the Subject line. (Or email book@roomtoread.org). We'll then email you and each of your friends Chapter 1, along with a request that they become "buzz agents" themselves.

"The power to create a best-seller, and to raise millions for Room to Read, is in our hands. It's no longer the major media who turn books into best sellers - it's the average person, and the power of their networks.

"I hope that you will take ten minutes to recruit ten potential buzz agents. We'll then keep all of you informed, over the coming months, about the book launch and other ways to help. I hope to see most of you during the worldwide book tour!

"Thanks in advance for your help.

"Warmest Regards,

"John Wood"

Welcome

2006-07-26T05:03:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Blog for Loriene Roy's Circle of Literacy Task Force.