2007-2009 Grant Project Reports

Grant Project descriptions by Library: Andover | Brooklyn | Hempstead | James Prendergast | Mahopac | NYPL | Oneida | Onondaga County | Patchogue-Medford | Pioneer Library System | Westchester Library System | White Plains

Andover Free Library

Evelyn Smith; 607-478-5377

Project Name: Adult Literacy Computer Cafés                                             

Project Amount: $37,749

Brief Project Description: Adult Literacy Computer Cafés, located in the Andover and Richburg libraries, provided computer-based GED classes, one-to-one and small group computer tutoring services, pre-GED services, workplace and basic skills workshops, and wireless Internet access. 

Needs Addressed: The Allegany County Success by Six Consortium’s community needs assessment documented the need for more adult literacy services and increased access to adult literacy services.  The Allegany County Employment and Training Center reported that since September of 2006, nearly two-thirds of the adults tested for local employment opportunities failed the minimum reading and math requirements to be eligible for hire.

Target Audience: The target population for this project was adults in need of basic literacy and workplace skills and/or GED preparation.

Staffing/Volunteers/Partners Role:

  • Literacy West and Cattaraugus-Allegany BOCES (CABOCES) - Assisted the Andover and Richburg libraries with project planning, implementation, and evaluation.
  • Cattaraugus-Allegany BOCES (CABOCES) - Provided computer-based GED instruction and Microsoft software instruction.
  • Allegany County Employment and Training Center - Referred Adults with TABE test scores too low for employment to the Computer Cafés.

Accomplishments for 2008-2009:

  • 34 workshops and 94 general computer classes were held.
  • 186 new library cards were issued between the two libraries in 2008-09, a 465% increase over 2007-2008.
  • 7 students passed the GED exam.
  • 118 students attended Computer Café and GED classes.

Evaluation and Results:

  • Evaluation method:  pre- and post- tests, interest surveys, and instructor observation.
  • Results:  95% of the adults in Computer Cafés showed improvement in their computer skills.  Workshops were based on student interests and observations of computer skills.  GED participants were scheduled to take the State GED exam when TABE results showed they were ready. 

Changes/Recommendations/Continuation Plans:

  • The libraries plan to continue the project by distributing free library cards.
  • Both libraries will continue to be GED preparation sites through CABOCES.

Brooklyn Public Library

Susan O’Connor; 718-832-3560

Project Name: Technology Literacy for English Language Learners

Project Amount: $37,749

Brief Project Description: Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) created and delivered a series of Technology for English Language Learners (TELL) workshops in the library’s Adult Learning Centers and neighborhood libraries.

Needs Addressed: Demand for more computer classes serving multilingual users – whether in languages other than English or targeting English Language Learners – has been longstanding and broadly based among the library’s ESOL students and pre-GED students, many of whom are non-employed adult learners, mothers and senior citizens. 

Target Audience: TELL participants were diverse borough residents with a high proportion of non-employed adult learners, mothers and senior citizens.  Their needs centered less on employment issues and more around world news, communication, health, and citizenship issues.  Learners introducing themselves to technology quite late in life had to overcome trepidations and psychological/intuitive barriers.

Partners Role:

  • Literacy Assistance Center – Collaborated on project activities, posted flyers, connected with Queens Borough Public Library to gain and share information about similar programs.
  • CAMBA – Collaborated on project activities, posted flyers, and referred clients.

Accomplishments:

  • A series of 53 Basic Technology workshops comprised of 3 or 4 classes each were held at libraries and learning centers.
  • Participants learned to use Microsoft Word and Excel, open email accounts, and use search engines.
  • Participants learned to search the Internet for information about health, civics and vocations.   The BPL website was the starting point.  It served the needs of first-time users by reducing the overwhelming multiplicity of Internet options.
  • Participants were introduced to Rosetta Stone’s individualized language learning software.

Evaluation and Results:

  • Evaluation method:  Students were surveyed at the beginning and end of each series.  They were asked to produce a Microsoft Word document and email it to the teacher as a final test.  Results:  Internet basic knowledge increased, satisfaction was high, and 87% of students were able to complete the final test.
  • Student retention rates for each series ranged from 85% to 89%.
  • Student comment—“… in the 21st century computer skill is require for everything possible.  I was not able to get on the Internet, coming to the class and [teacher] giving home and practice, I’m able as well as understanding how to turn on the computer, sign in and out.  These are basic things I am able to do since coming to this class.”

Changes/Recommendations/Continuation Plans:

  • The program will continue with a grant from the Department of Education.
  • Beginning the TELL series by showing participants how to establish email accounts positively impacted attendance and retention rates.
  • Teacher flexibility was another key to success.

Hempstead Public Library

Irene Duszkiewicz; 516-481-6990

Project Name: The New Road to Citizenship

Project Amount: $37,749

Brief Project Description: Hempstead Public Library developed a comprehensive, library-based citizenship education program.  The central activity of the project was U.S. citizenship classes that were conducted in the library’s community room. Ten-week sessions were held four times a year.  Throughout the project period, additional instructional support for citizenship and ESL learning was available through the resources and programs of the library’s Adult Learning Center.

Needs Addressed: The growth of Hempstead’s immigrant population has increased the demand for citizenship-related resources and services. 

Target Audience: The Hispanic population of Hempstead Village that comprises approximately one-third of the total population of the village was the target audience for citizenship instruction.

Staffing/Volunteers/Partners Role:

  • C.A.S.A. (Coordinating Agency for Spanish Americans) and Literacy Nassau—Planning, selecting curriculum, publicity and student recruitment and evaluation.
  • Hempstead Public Library’s Adult Learning Center—Collaborating with partners and hiring an experienced citizenship instructor to deliver the workshops. 

Accomplishments:

  • All of the participants in the citizenship classes were introduced to the services of the Adult Learning Center and many continue to use the Center for citizenship and ESOL study. 
  • Project participants expressed their appreciation for being able to attend a free and easily-accessible class at the public library and indicated that they would refer friends and family to the library.
  • There were a total of 293 users of the project; 28 students passed their citizenship exam. 

Evaluation and Results:

  • Methods:  Course evaluation form and input from the citizenship teacher, students, ALC staff, and cooperating agencies.
  • Results:  The participants overwhelmingly rated all of the aspects of the classes “very helpful”.  Participants liked having multi-media resources used in the classroom curriculum available in the Adult Learning Center. During the second year of the project, twenty students (approximately 25% of the classroom students) actually took the exam and 96% of them passed.

Changes/Recommendations/Continuation Plans: The “New Road to Citizenship” has proven to be one of the most popular programs at HPL.  Without additional funding, it will be difficult to provide the services of an experienced citizenship instructor to conduct citizenship classes on a regular basis.   However, the library’s Adult Learning Center will endeavor to incorporate citizenship services into its programming if future funding is not available.

James Prendergast Library Association

Anne Plyler; 716-484-7135 x 258

Project Name: Log on For Literacy

Project Amount: $36,812

Brief Project Description: The James Prendergast Library Association’s Log on for Literacy project improved workforce preparation through computer instruction for area adults in cooperation with the Erie 2 Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES.

Needs Addressed: Adult residents of Jamestown are faced with an unemployment rate of 8 percent.  Almost 20 percent of adults have not finished high school.  The functional illiteracy rate is close to 30 percent.  Almost 17 percent live below the poverty level and 5 percent of the county’s population are Spanish-speakers struggling to attain fluency in English as well as computer skills. 

Target Audience: The project targeted low-income Chautauqua County residents who were receiving literacy instruction in libraries or through BOCES.

Staffing/Volunteers/Partners Role:

  • ProLiteracy Worldwide—Trained the project leader as a Basic Literacy Trainer and English as a Second Language Trainer.
  • BOCES—Planned curriculum, provided instructors for computer classes, and administered the evaluation.
  • Public and private schools—Distributed information to adults through their students.
  • Dunkirk Public Library, Falconer Public Library, and Patterson Library in Westfield—Offered tours to BOCES instructors and students, provided space for instruction, and reported outcomes at their sites.

Accomplishments:

  • Paid advertising and the distribution of a new Literacy Center brochure attracted more than 150 adult learners to the library for basic and intermediate computer classes taught by BOCES instructors.  50 percent of clients during intake mentioned seeing or hearing the publicity.
  • Between September 15 and October 5, 2008, 472 television commercials about literacy appeared on 12 channels of Time Warner Cable. There were 406 additional messages between January 12 and February 1, 2009.
  • A series of radio ads also ran in September 2008 and January 2009. They were a combination of recorded spots and live messages by morning personalities.
  • Telephone calls asking about the literacy program spiked during and immediately after advertising campaigns.
  • Computer class attendance held steady at 90 percent or above.
  • Students in both the beginning and intermediate classes reported that they had learned many new things. “You always pick up something new from the teacher, especially if you were self-taught,” many said.
  • 20 new tutors were trained. 

Evaluation and Results:

  • Method:  Increased knowledge of computers was measured by post training surveys, instructor observation, and anecdotes from providers and literacy clients who took the instruction.
  • Results:  User satisfaction ratings averaged 9, excellent, on the BOCES form and 4, high, on the library form. 219 students answered 80 percent of questions correctly on post-training tests.
  • One student got his driver’s license; one client who took the basic computer class got a job.

Changes/Recommendations/Continuation Plans:

  • The project began by offering both Workforce Readiness Credential Training and basic computer instruction.  Workforce training was eliminated because of lack of enrollment and difficulties with student retention.  The workforce training was replaced with two sections of basic computer instruction and one section each on intermediate computer skills and Excel.  The classes became so full that we ran out of computers; BOCES stepped in and supplied laptops.
  • Our computer training lab, which has 8 student workstations to accommodate 16 pairs of students, was strained beyond capacity when close to 30 people signed up for each class.  We assigned three people per computer, and BOCES supplied laptops, but we could have filled more classes, especially at the basic level.
  • The library recently partnered with BOCES on a 2009-2012 Literacy Zone application and a 2009-2011 Adult Literacy Library Services grant application. Both proposals included additional computer classes for adult learners. The library is also nurturing relationships with the Greater Jamestown A.M. Rotary Club, Cummins Inc., and Jamestown Engine Plant, which have supported local literacy efforts in recent years.

Mahopac Public Library

Patricia Kaufman; 845-628-2009

Project Name: Opening Doors:  Workforce Empowerment through Literacy Education

Project Amount: $29,659

Brief Project Description: The library provided a series of workshops for the clients of the Putnam/Northern Westchester Women’s Resource Center (WRC) to help them develop literacy, computer skills, and job search strategies so that they would be ready to apply and/or interview for jobs.

Needs Addressed: Women whose lives have been disrupted by violence and abuse need job training in order to enter the job market for the first time, re-enter the job market, or move up in it.   WRC had to eliminate its job training because of other more critical needs, such as secure shelter and counseling.  Mahopac stepped in to fill the gap.

Target Audience: The project’s audience was the 40-50 women served by WRC who are housed at a domestic violence shelter or who receive counseling and other services at WRC office.

Staffing/Volunteers/Partners Role:

  • Literacy Volunteers of Putnam County – Participated in planning, project activities, and evaluations.
  • Putnam/Northern Westchester Women’s Resource Center – Participated in planning, project activities and evaluations.

Accomplishments:

  • Developed curriculum and assembled binders of information and worksheets.
  • Purchased relevant software, print, and non-print materials, and an online business resource.
  • Held workshops on preparation of cover letters, resumes, applications, interview skills, workplace management skills, money management skills, and how to structure a job search.

Evaluation and Results:

  • Methods:  Calculated the number of participants and materials, and collected qualitative feedback from the participants.  Results:  9 participants got jobs.  19 users were served;16 workshops held with 19 participants; 95 materials were circulated.  Participant feedback was positive.
  • Student comment — “The workshop helped me to get started on my job search that was long overdue.  I knew that I needed to do this because it was the key to a better life for me and my children, but I didn’t have a clue how to start.  This workshop gave me all the tools I needed and more.”

Continuation Plans: The project will continue, with the target audience expanded to the unemployed and underemployed who have come to either their libraries or the Westchester/Putnam One Stop Center seeking assistance in finding employment.  The Mental Health Association of Putnam County has expressed interest in becoming a partner. The materials and software are already in place, and future grants will be applied for to offset instructional costs.

The New York Public Library

Susan Gitman; 212-340-0952

Project Name: Integrated Technology-Assisted ESOL Instruction at Aguilar Branch Library

Project Amount: $37,749

Brief Project Description: This project developed ESOL classes that combined traditional classroom instruction with technology-assisted instruction.  The benefit was that students had access to self-paced learning outside the classroom. 

Needs Addressed: Integrated Technology-Assisted ESOL Instruction addressed the strong need for immigrants to acquire both English literacy skills and computer skills to improve employment prospects, participate more actively in their children’s education, and pursue educational and cultural opportunities.

Target Audience: The project served immigrant adults residing in the Harlem Branch Library community in Harlem.

Staffing/Volunteers/Partners Role:

  • The Library contracted with the Riverside Language Program to develop the curriculum, hire an experienced instructor to provide technology-assisted instruction, and assess students’ skill levels and progress using the state-mandated BEST Plus test.

Accomplishments:

  • Each student had access to a computer and the Rosetta Stone language learning software program.  The program reached 45 students each year.
  • While most ESOL classes have more women than men, the Integrated Technology-Assisted English class in the second year attracted 17 males and 18 females. Participants’ ages ranged from 16 to over 60; 22 students (63 percent) fell into the 25 to 44 age group.
  • Students met evenings for two and a half hours twice a week, for a total of 55 hours during each cycle, and a total of 165 instructional hours with a trained professional teacher. Student contact hours totaled 1,960 hours.
  • Students seeking work were referred to the library’s Job Information Center.
  • Advertisements were distributed in both Spanish and English.

Evaluation and Results:

  • Methods:  The library tracked the number of instructional hours, and administered BEST Plus tests to gauge the level of English ability before and after the classes.
  • Results: Students entered with various levels of English ability.  An average of 40% of them completed one level.

Changes/Recommendations/Continuation Plans: Each of the participating locations will continue to make the Rosetta Stone software available to community residents.

Oneida Public Library

Carolyn Gerakopoulos; 315-363-3050 x 26

Project Name: Project Read: Expanded Services for Learning Disabled Adults

Project Amount: $34,376

Brief Project Description: Oneida Public Library enhanced its Project Read program to provide support for learning-disabled adults and their tutors.

Needs Addressed: Because 85 to 90 percent of adult student applicants to Project Read have some form of learning disability and most are unemployed, tutoring these students has proven to be a continual challenge. Most literacy tutors do not have the specialized knowledge needed to teach the learning-disabled student.  Often the students drop out of the program before any real progress can be achieved.

Target Audience: The project was designed to help learning-disabled adults 18 years of age and over who have not obtained a high school diploma or a GED, are unemployed or underemployed, and live below the poverty level.

Staffing/Volunteers/Partners Role:

  • Pro-Literacy Worldwide – Referred learners and provided a website tutors can use to find resources for preparing lessons.
  • BOCES, Madison-Cortland ARC, Liberty Resources and Working Solutions – Provided referrals.
  • Retired Senior and Volunteer Program – Recruited volunteers.

Accomplishments:

  • The project provided two tutor training workshops on effective strategies in teaching the learning-disabled.
  • Tutors teamed with their learners using “Read Please” software.  This software is indicated for students with severe perceptual and phonetic-recognition impairments.
  • At the conclusion of the project, several learners were able to write and print out their own stories. Students were able to correct their spelling, add or delete words, and have the computer read the story back to them.
  • We formed a very close alliance with Working Solutions, a one-stop career center in Oneida. They have encouraged us to continue with our computer efforts as computer literacy is needed in order to fill out a job application online.
  • We are coordinating our efforts with Vocational Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID).Two referrals from Working Solutions are working towards their GED so that they can get a job.

Evaluation and Results:

  • Attendance and retention for tutoring sessions increased.
  • Participants successfully completed the computer skills workshops.
  • Agency referrals increased.
  • Students showed improved self-respect and confidence in terms of literacy, technology and job seeking.
  • 14 workshops were held with 40 participants.

Changes/Recommendations/Continuation Plans:  The library plans to continue Project Read.  Project Read has been in existence since the year 2000 and is the main outreach program of the library.  Literacy is the library’s passion.  “Read Please” computer sessions will be held twice a week.

Onondaga County Public Library

Doreen Milcarek; 315-435-1816

Project Name: Tutor/Teacher-Library Connections

Project Amount: $37,634

Brief Project Description: The Tutor/Teacher-Library Connections project provided support and assistance to adult literacy tutors by updating literacy materials, offering workshops and activities, and training six library staff to function as liaisons with literacy students and their teachers.

Needs Addressed: Tutors and teachers need a variety of resources to support their work with students, and most were not aware of the resources and support available to them through the library system. More literacy materials were needed to update literacy collections.

Target Audience: Tutor/Teacher-Library Connections reached adult literacy tutors volunteering independently or with a county agency and teachers bringing their classes to the library.

Staffing/Volunteers/Partners Role:

  • Literacy Volunteers – Helped plan activities, choose materials, and advertise program.
  • Pro Literacy Worldwide – Developed a “Learn the Library” lesson that will be used on the Verizon website Thinkfinity.com.
  • BOCES – Helped plan the program.  Teachers and students used the project resources.
  • Literacy Tutor Circle – Participated in planning of activities and trainings, informed tutors of program opportunities.

Accomplishments:

  • Tutor resource binders were created and are available in participating libraries.
  • Six library literacy liaisons are prepared to assist adult literacy students and tutors find the resources they want.
  • A positive relationship with Literacy Volunteers of Greater Syracuse was fostered through planning, training and workshop activities and will continue to benefit the community well into the future.
  • 90 area students participated in The Great OCPL Read Aloud.
  • Circulation increased by 50% in the new literacy section on the browse floor of the Central Library.

Evaluation and Results:

  • Evaluation methods used:  Written and telephone surveys, anecdotal repots, attendance records, and circulation data.
  • Results:  Surveys of 20 tutors revealed increased awareness of library resources.   86% felt comfortable asking library staff for help.  Tutors used library resource binders, helped students get a library card, attended trainings, toured the library, and borrowed materials. 

Changes/Recommendations/Continuation Plans:

  • The products created will continue to be used; trainings will be continued for the regular library staff; the Great OCPL Read Aloud will continue if funding is located.
  • Tutor incentives were not as popular as expected. Most tutors were much more interested in further training to enhance their teaching skills.
  • The most effective method for advertising to tutors was through email notices sent to Literacy Volunteers and The Literacy Tutor Circle who then forwarded the information to their members.

Patchogue-Medford Library

Jean Kaleda; 631-658-4700 x 234

Project Name: Enriching Community through Computers, Conversation, and Citizenshipexternal link opens in a new window

Project Amount: $27, 814

Brief Project Description: The project provided bilingual computer classes, conversational English groups, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) instruction and citizenship preparation classes to the community’s growing Hispanic immigrant population.

Needs Addressed: Surveys of Spanish-speaking participants at Patchogue-Medford Library programs from the years 2003-2005 indicated that 89% of all respondents were interested in learning computer and resume writing skills.  The surveys also showed that 73% of all respondents were interested in learning or improving their English skills and 89% were interested in information on immigration and citizenship.

Target Audience: Enriching Community targeted the community’s adult Hispanic population with low level English skills.

Staffing/Volunteers/Partners Role:

  • Patchogue-Medford Union Free School District – Provided classroom space and recruited students.
  • Literacy Suffolk, Inc. – Recruited volunteers for conversational English classes.
  • Volunteers – Taught additional conversational English classes.

Accomplishments:

  • 1,172 adult students attended classes, a 2.4% increase over Year 1.
  • 123 students participated in the bilingual computer classes.
  • 711 students attended conversational English or ESOL classes.
  • 338 students attended citizenship classes, with 6 of 7 eligible students passing their naturalization exams.

Evaluation and Results:

  • Evaluation methods used:  Pre and post project surveys rating student proficiency in different areas.  Student Comments.
  • Results:  Overall, students rated their abilities higher at the end of their classes. 
  • Student comment from the computer class-- “…Aprendimos a perder el miedo y como escribir y como meterlos al internet.  He aprendi como usar Mapquest para llegar a mi trabajo…Gracias…”

Changes/Recommendations/Continuation Plans:

  • Beginning in fall 2009, the Library will increase the number of Spanish language computer classes offered. 
  • The Library has hired a career counselor to offer monthly bilingual career counseling services in addition to its longstanding English language career counseling program. 
  • Citizenship preparation classes will continue meeting weekly and will now be paid through Library adult programming funds.  
  • There is great potential for the conversational English group to expand to several classes per week.

Pioneer Library System

Kimberly Iraci; 585-394-8260

Project Name: Going the Distance:  Linking Libraries and Literacy in Wayne County

Project Amount: $32,302

Brief Project Description: Pioneer Library System partnered with the Macedonia Public Library and Literacy Volunteers of Wayne County to improve access to literacy resources in their rural service area.  The project built a literacy collection, created a webpage dedicated to adult literacy resources, and created distance learning courseware for tutor education. 

Needs Addressed: 1 in 10 adults in Wayne County are in need of individualized instruction to gain basic literacy skills. Many potential volunteer tutors live in the northwestern portion of the county, far away from both training classes and literacy collections. 

Target Audience: The 9,000 Wayne County adult residents that are geographically isolated, underserved, and reading at or below the 3rd grade level, and their prospective tutors live too far from resources to attend and complete training.

Staffing/Volunteers/Partners Role:

  • Literacy Volunteers of Wayne County – Supplied curriculum material to the Project Coordinator and a tutor training instruction manual that was converted to the online courseware.
  • Literacy New York – Pioneer Library System shared research on distance learning and project results with Literacy New York who dropped out after the first year to pursue other projects.
  • Macedonia Public Library – Added literacy materials to their collection, and held literacy classes.

Accomplishments:

  • Launched a webpage dedicated to adult literacy resources for learners and tutorsexternal link opens in a new window
  • Created distance learning courseware for tutors.  [To view the courseware go to http://www.onlinetutortraining.org external link opens in a new window Login: Kim  Password: PLS123]
  • Held classes at the Macedonia Public Library.
  • Established an up-to-date literacy collection (388 new items) and a tutor room at the Macedonia Public Library for residents living in the northwestern portions of Wayne County.
  • Circulated new literacy materials 292 times since the project began.

Evaluation and Results:

  • Evaluation Methods Used:  Pre project open house survey, informal staff surveys, post traditional class survey, and online courseware survey via survey monkey.
  • Results:  Open house feedback was positive, group discussions in the traditional training were noted as rewarding, and online courseware was found to be easy to follow and use.
  • The project has improved wait times for tutors in western Wayne County by six months due to the addition of 5 new tutors successfully completing traditional and online classes.
  • Online classes brought in more male volunteers which are in high demand since many learners who are male prefer a male tutor.

Changes/Recommendations/Continuation Plans:

  • Macedonia Public Library will maintain the literacy collection.
  • Pioneer Library System will maintain and update the literacy web page.
  • Literacy Volunteers of Wayne County will maintain the online distance learning courseware.  They are exploring creating in-house staff video training scenarios on YouTube and uploading them to the distance learning site.
  • The biggest hurdle was locating a cost-effective framework for the distance learning module.  In addition, it took a long time to convert from print curriculum to online. 

Westchester Library System

Robin Osborne; 914-422-1487

Project Name: Welcoming New Americans @ Your Library

Project Amount: $30,534

Brief Project Description: Welcoming New Americans @ Your Library provided immigrants with ESOL instruction and citizenship classes at the Mamaroneck Public Library during the first year of the project, and at the Field Library during the second year.

Needs Addressed: Immigrants need to improve their English language skills in order to improve their employment prospects, quality of life, and be successful community residents.

Target Audience: The project reached new immigrants in Mamaroneck and Peekskill with limited English speaking ability.

Staffing/Volunteers/Partners Role

  • Literacy Volunteers – planned and developed curriculum for the ESL tutor training and citizen preparation, trained volunteers, and conducted citizen preparation classes.
  • BOCES – Participated in recruitment and administered language skills assessments.
  • Volunteer Center and Mamaroneck Library – recruited volunteers.
  • The Field and Mamaroneck Libraries – Advertised the service.

Accomplishments:

  • Recruited and trained 27 volunteer tutors at the Field Library and 40 volunteers through the Mamaroneck Public Library.
  • Tutors were matched with ESL students for personalized instruction.
  • 78 immigrants attended citizenship preparation classes; 35 attended a health information fair. 
  • The Field Library added 74 items and the Mamaroneck Public Library added 96 items to their collections for learning English, preparing for U.S. citizenship, and reading in other languages.

Evaluation and Results:

  • Methods:  Attendance was taken at the sessions, pre and post language ability testing was administered
  • Results:  All of the students post tested made language gains. 236 users were served; 41 programs were held with a total of 477 participants; 446 materials were circulated; 235 materials were distributed.

Changes/Recommendations/Continuation Plans:

  • The Westchester Library System, the Mamaroneck Public Library and the Field Library plan to continue the adult literacy services for English language learners, continue to promote citizenship classes, and explore new community partnerships.
  • The project had planned to establish a volunteer-driven citizenship and English-language learning information desk. The libraries quickly learned that training volunteers to be knowledgeable about a vast array of local and/or social services would take more time and commitment than was available. A better idea would have been to train local library staff on information needs of the target communities and expect them to fulfill that role.

White Plains Public Library

Dawn LaValle; 914-422-1487

Project Name: Literacy for Life at the White Plains Public Library

Project Amount: $19,871

Brief Project Description: Literacy for Life provided English language instruction using interactive software on dedicated laptops.  The instruction was augmented with conversation groups that helped immigrants develop everyday life skills.

Needs Addressed: The population of non-English speaking people in White Plains and Westchester County is growing and the availability of space in ESL classes is not meeting the demand.  

Target Audience: Literacy for Life’s target audience was speakers of a language other than English in Westchester County.

Staffing/Volunteers/Partners Role:

  • Westchester Community College English Language Institute – Participated in and promoted project activities.
  • White Plains Public Library Project Director – Provided instruction for one-on-one training sessions and Open Literacy Labs.

Accomplishments:

  • 100% of English language learners who requested assistance used laptops at least once on their own; 84% used the dedicated laptops on a regular basis.
  • 78% of the English language learners who used laptops also attended the English conversation programs; 34% continued throughout the project period.

Evaluation and Results:

  • Method:  Percentage of participants and user satisfaction.
  • Results:  96% of one-on-one laptop participants completed training; 91% of users expressed satisfaction with the selected interactive software; 1151 students attended 139 conversation group sessions.

Changes/Recommendations/Continuation Plans:

  • The open literacy labs proved to be a success, allowing the project director to train more students at one time as well as to monitor each student’s progress and address concerns with the programs.
  • Based on feedback from current students, the library would have focused solely on the dedicated learning laptops — the desired core element of the program.
  • The project continues to expand with new students each week.  Software and laptops will be available to students as long as there is demand.
Last Updated: March 11, 2010