2009-2011 Grant Recipients
February 2010
Fourteen counties across the State will be getting help from the New York State Library for adult literacy library projects, New York State Librarian and Assistant Commissioner for Libraries Bernard Margolis announced today. Eleven grants to public libraries and public library systems totaling $340,113 over two years will be awarded to support Adult Literacy Library Services projects in 2009-10 and 2010-11.
“New York State’s Adult Literacy Library Services grants help adult students and their families use library resources to continue their education and develop workforce skills,” said Mr. Margolis. “They are designed around the particular needs of adult students and help them develop computer literacy as well as traditional literacy skills needed for job preparation and employment.”
With the support of these funds, libraries will increase services to adults who read below the sixth-grade level, adults with learning disabilities, and adults preparing for the general equivalency diploma (GED). With the help of these grants, libraries will also welcome new immigrants to communities through model English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs that teach citizenship preparation and English language and conversation skills.
The libraries will partner with community education and service agencies during the grant years to provide expert instruction and to raise awareness of the role of the public library as a provider of resources and services for adults who want to improve their workforce and computer skills.
For more information about the grant program, contact Cassandra Artale, Library Development Specialist, New York State Library / Division of Library Development, 518-474-1479 or cartale@mail.nysed.gov .
Following are the public libraries and public library systems that are receiving NYS Adult Literacy Library Services awards:
Brooklyn Public Library (Kings County) $33,723 – English Conversation Groups. Brooklyn Public Library will expand the number of English conversation groups it sponsors from 12 to 22 so that the growing population of English language learners will have more opportunities to improve their speaking skills. Volunteer group facilitators will be recruited and trained to provide instruction in a casual format that focuses on speaking, rather than reading and writing, to help participants become more confident in pursuing work, educational and social goals. Outreach and marketing in multiple languages will raise awareness of the program among Brooklyn residents.
Clinton-Essex-Franklin Library System (Clinton, Essex and Franklin Counties) $33,735 – Adult New Learners in the Zone. This project will position the Clinton-Essex-Franklin Library System and member public libraries as key participants in the adult literacy initiatives of the Champlain Valley Technology Education Center Literacy Zone. Adult New Learners in the Zone focuses on a pressing need among their shared clientele-- basic computer instruction. Computer training will take place in member libraries which are located in high-need areas. Literacy Volunteers Clinton County will conduct tutor training sessions and direct adult new learners to project programs in their communities. An annual Regional Literacy Day will promote this project and other local literacy initiatives.
Guilderland Public Library (Albany County) $27,889 – Team Up for Literacy: Training Volunteers to Teach Language and Life Skills to Adult Learners. To reduce adult literacy student waiting-time for tutors, the Guilderland Public Library and Literacy Volunteers-Mohawk /Hudson, Inc., will develop a model training program for small-group instruction. Two or three tutors will work together with classes of six to ten adult basic literacy or English language learners. Students will provide feedback on the effectiveness of the curriculum and materials selected. Three in-service workshops for tutors about workplace skills, health literacy and adult education will be offered.
Hempstead Public Library (Nassau County) $33,735 – Citizenship Connection. Citizenship Connection will expand the Hempstead Public Library’s resources and services to new immigrants who are studying to pass the interview and examination for U.S. citizenship. Resources will include materials in multiple formats and languages, online learning, classes, and individual tutorials. The project partners: Nassau County Coordinating Agency for Latino Affairs, Our Lady of Loretto Parish Social Ministry, and the Hagedorn Family Resource Center will publicize the programs, make referrals to the classes and assist in project evaluation.
James Prendergast Free Library (Chautauqua County) $29,578 – Computer Classes Meet a Triangle of Literacy Needs. This project will help three target groups (English-speaking adult learners, Spanish-speaking adults, and guests of a local emergency food provider) achieve computer literacy as part of a program of workforce preparation. Courses will be developed and delivered by Erie2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES instructors. Classes for English speakers will be offered in the library’s computer lab and there will be classes for Spanish speakers in the computer lab at the Eastside Y. Local cable television and radio will promote the classes.
Mahopac Public Library (Putnam County) $29,740 – Strategies for Survival: Workforce Empowerment through Literacy Education. Mahopac Public Library will offer workplace literacy workshops to help the unemployed or underemployed population in Putnam County get back into the workforce or get better jobs. The workshops, Strategies for Survival, will focus on helping students approach their job search in a professional and confident manner, demonstrate initiative, acquire computer skills, and communicate effectively with colleagues, supervisors and the public. The library’s partners are the Westchester/Putnam One-Stop Center and Literacy Volunteers of Putnam.
The New York Public Library (Bronx and New York Counties) $33,735 – In Plain Language: ESOL Health Literacy Curriculum Project. In Plain Language will offer a practical needs-based and learner-centered curriculum to English language learners who use the Grand Concourse Branch Library in the Bronx and the Seward Park Branch Library in Manhattan. Classroom work will help students acquire the language and literacy skills needed to articulate their health care needs. Health specialists from Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center and Gouverneur Healthcare Services are project partners.
Oneida Public Library (Madison County) $33,529 – Learning for Work. The Oneida Public Library and Madison County Reads Ahead will implement Learning for Work to help improve Madison County’s employment level and to contribute to the county’s economic development. A new adult literacy curriculum will be developed which focuses on practical workforce readiness skills. Local experts and business professionals will present free public programs on workforce topics in libraries throughout Madison County.
Onondaga County Public Library (Onondaga County) $23,803 – Meet Me at the Library. Refugees with intermediate level English skills will work as volunteer interns through Onondaga County Library’s Meet Me at the Library project. Through their internships, volunteers will acquire job skills and experience along with resumes that reflect their work. These interns, from the Refugee Assistance Program, will reach out to members of target ethic groups. The library will seek recommendations for enhancing services and collections to meet refugee needs and it will teach about the library’s available resources. Guidelines for such internships and a plan for removing barriers to service are among expected results.
Pioneer Library System (Wyoming County) $26,911 – Wyoming Connects for Literacy. The Wyoming Connects for Literacy project will provide adult learners and tutors throughout Wyoming County with access to a mobile laptop training lab with self-paced learning software. Warsaw Public Library and the Arcade Free Library, in conjunction with Literacy West, will each host ten basic computer literacy courses per year. At other times, the laptops will be available for use by individual students or for small group instruction. Open house events at the libraries, presentations at service clubs, and advertisements on WCJW radio will increase awareness of literacy services and reach adults whose lack of computer skills are barriers to employment.
Queens Library (Queens County) $33,735 – Queens Library Literacy Zone Computer Literacy Program. Queens Library will implement a computer literacy program as part of its broader Literacy Zone project for students in the library’s English Language and Adult Basic Education classes. Students will learn to access information on the Internet, complete projects, and address their employment, financial, and educational needs. Outreach to community and faith-based organizations that are part of the Literacy Zone, and to community board and tenant association meetings, will help the project reach its target group.
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