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

[AndresMuro at aol.com]

Kristine: 

In my experience, I have absolutely no problem working with the libraries and with the apartment complexes in the ways that you describe. We have a lot of classes set up in community sites including apartment complexes, schools, community centers, libraries, etc. Whenever we want to do something with the library, we go to the local branch near the site, and ask them to help us with that. They always do. We ask for presentations, to sign students for library cards and other things. We also ask them for letters of support when we apply for grants. They do the same thing. Sometimes the library sets up classes at a different schedule, the same schedule, same/different content, etc. We share students. We send those that cannot attend our classes for some reason and they do the same. Sometimes, we get something like additional computers, access to health insurance for the poor, or some other thing, and we tell them, or they tell us. 

No bureaucracies are involved in this process. The extent of a bureaucracy has to do with how bureaucratic someone wants something to be. 

Sometimes I call people in the community asking for a presentation, a service, space, a favor, etc. More often than not, people say sure, come on over, or I'll be there tomorrow. On occasions someone asks me for a written memo signed by god, in triplicate and notarized, so that their god, board of trustees, president, etc approves of the request. Then, they send a memo, notarized and in triplicate agreeing to our request but requesting that we develop a non-financial agreement whereas......Then, they send the non-financial agreement to their lawyer to ensure that there are no legal problems, the lawyer makes the appropriate changes and it is sent back to me for corrections. At that point, I have a nervous breakdown, so nothing happens, but someone else in my staff finds someone else in the community that will accommodate us just because we requests it. 

So, bureaucracies are invented by people and they are as bad in tiny organizations as in big ones. Nobody in the college tells me: "be bureaucratic", so, I do what I want. If I start requesting memos in triplicate for everything I do, then everything goes to hell. When I started working here, there was a coordinator. Whenever I asked her for something, she would ask me to set up a meeting with her, so I stopped asking. Thing was, that we had the same supervisor who never asked us to be bureaucratic.

Andres

In a message dated 1/27/2004 1:04:41 PM Eastern Standard Time, kstroadmoore at tchonline.org writes:

> 
> 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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