[AAACE-NLA] Literacy programs in community colleges vs. libra ries

[Kristine Stroadmoore]

Our family literacy ESL program is in a branch library, to the benefit of
both parent institutions and the community. Their combined resources allow
them to serve more people more fully. It's a good fit for the students, many
of whom live in public housing across the street. The shared computer lab,
run by us (CBO) and open to the public outside of class time, is a major
community asset as well.

My feeling is that partnership between a non-profit CBO and a public library
has a better chance of being a true collaboration than a CBO/community
college pairing. Both may have large and unwieldy bureaucracies that make it
slow and cumbersome to act, but once the library administration and board
have committed to the collaboration, it is more able to be flexible and
respond to program needs. The students are the patrons, and everyone is
committed to serving them.

Another consideration is accessibility; libraries are in neighborhoods and
are more accessible than community colleges.

There is bound to be greater security for a program housed in a library than
in a community college, where the adult literacy program of a smaller
partner is unlikely to be well known  and may be low priority when it comes
to allocating space or other dwindling resources. When the tides shift, as
they seem to do, and family literacy or ESL are out of vogue, its too easy
to sweep them out of a community college. Libraries' mission is literacy for
all.


Kristine Stroad Moore
Refugee and Immigrant Family Program
Tacoma Community House
Swan Creek Literacy Center
P.O. Box 5107
Tacoma, WA 98415
Telephone: (253) 471-5306
Fax: (253) 594-7808


-----Original Message-----
From: AWilder106 at aol.com [mailto:AWilder106 at aol.com]
Sent: Saturday, January 24, 2004 2:27 PM
To: aaace-nla at lists.literacytent.org
Subject: Re: [AAACE-NLA] Literacy programs in community colleges vs.
libraries


Andres,

This is really interesting, I like the collaboration between adult literacy
and the community college and the use of an  established institution.
Others have the same experience? 

Personally, I love the idea of using libraries, as they are community
centers for  everyone.  Are there people on the list with such positive
experiences with libraries, as you have with community colleges?

Any other institutions/locations that are also "naturals?"  Anyone?

Andrea


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