[AAACE-NLA] A State Library's role in adult education

[Debbie Yoho]

Although our state library is not a source of funding for adult literacy and does not directly serve adult learners, my friends at the SC State Library are critical to communicating with public and school libraries throughout the state.  The role of our state library is primarily to service the needs of these professionals, and raising their awareness of the need for adult literacy programs is a major task. These individuals are influential, especially in small communities, where the local library is often a community focal point for all kinds of activities.  I think of the state library as a soopurce of major in-kind contributions to adultliteracy work.  Many literacy programs, including mine, use local library facilities for tutoring and other activities, and library programs are critical for the recruitment of literacy volunteers.  Our state library provides a single point of contact for adult literacy organizations to reach many, many people.  Our state library is also closely related to our largest state university, and the School of Librarianship there. 

In SC, the state library is a critical ally for advocacy and change in adult education. 

Debbie Yoho
Division Director, TURNING PAGES/VOAC
(formerly the Greater Columbia Literacy Council)
Secretary, SC Association for Adult Literacy Education
803-765-2555 fax 803-779-1657 
PO Box 1447, Columbia, SC 29202
yohogclc at earthlink.net

"True progress preserves order amid change and preserves change amid order." (John Morgan, You Can't Manage Alone)



----- Original Message ----- 
From: Colletti, Cyndy 
To: National Literacy Advocacy List sponsored by AAACE
Sent: 12/31/2008 11:44:15 AM 
Subject: Re: [AAACE-NLA] A State Library's role in adult education


Kearney,

In Illinois, the State Library is one of the funding agencies for adult education and literacy.  Through the Illinois State Library's Literacy Office, Illinois provides state funds to enable agencies to offer services to help Illinois adults and their families who read at the lowest levels to increase their reading ability in English. Since 1986, when the Illinois State Library literacy program began, thousands of adults have improved their reading, writing and language skills through projects funded with literacy grant funds. To this end, the Illinois State Library Literacy Office also supports the Illinois Adult Learning Hotline, a statewide referral system which links prospective students or volunteers to local literacy and adult education programs. 

If Illinois's State Library were to close due to the budget crisis (which was what caused the Florida State Library's threatened closure), Illinois' adult learners would have poorer access to adult education programs because there would be fewer programs with less funding.  I know that not all State Libraries are invested in literacy, but it is a model that exists and can increase access to education for adult learners.

Cyndy Colletti
Literacy Program Manager 
Illinois State Library Literacy Office 
Gwendolyn Brooks Building 
300 S. Second Street 
Springfield, IL 62701-1796 
217-785-6921 
fax: 217-785-6927 
ccolletti at ilsos.net 

-----Original Message-----
From: aaace-nla-bounces at lists.literacytent.org [mailto:aaace-nla-bounces at lists.literacytent.org]On Behalf Of Kearney Lykins
Sent: Tuesday, December 30, 2008 9:33 AM
To: aaace-nla at lists.literacytent.org
Subject: Re: [AAACE-NLA] Rancor, al la Kathleen McCook


Colleagues,
 
I am not a librarian, but I am an adult learner. Throughout my 20 years of formal education and 48 years of informal living, I must admit that I have never heard of, much less made use of, a "state library." How does maintaining a "state library" in a single building in Tallahassee promote access for Florida's adult learners?
 
Best regards,
 
Kearney Lykins
 









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