5 ifla2010 s108_stewart

Learn to Read-Read to Learn

@Your Library: Public and School

Library Partnership

Paulette Stewart, PhDMavis Williams2010

http://slais.pbworks.com/f/1205099759/IFLA.gif



Library Partnership

“School and public libraries have had a longhistory. Apart from this, they are natural

friends because they cater to the samechildren” Woolls




Library Partnership

This characteristic makes it easier formeaningful collaboration to take place

because in any collaboration both entitiesneed to have a sense of equal success.




Library Partnership

The nature of the services that both librariesoffer makes their roles complementary andthis sets the stage for an educational alliance

that can support students who are learningto read as well as those who are reading tolearn.




Library Partnership

The Rational for Collaboration

“No single library collection can or shouldattempt to meet all the needs of students inschool.

Providing library services to students is thejoint responsibility of school and publiclibraries” [Woolls]




Library Partnership


To share resources that are costly.

When the partnership between school and

public library are born and nurtured,programmes flourish that service youngpeople in extraordinary ways, for example

summer times reading programme [Squire].




Library Partnership


Public and school library partnership is extremely important as it is able to bridge the digital divide especially in developing countries where parents or guardians are not able to provide information technologies such as computer with Internet connection that can provide students with access to additional reading resources.




Library Partnership


Public libraries are opened on weekends and for longer hours during the week. Students will therefore have the opportunity

to visit the library to access reading materials if none is available at home




Library Partnership

Public and School Library Partnership in the promotion of reading

Public libraries provide a wide range ofreading resources that support the schools’curriculum and satisfy children’s readinginterest. This means that public libraries playan important role in children’s readingdevelopment and learning [Schneider]




Library Partnership


The UNESCO Education For All (EFA) 2008monitoring report states that Jamaica’s adultliteracy rate currently stands at 79.9 per cent.It is clear that something needs to be doneand libraries have a role to play in supportingthe challenge to increase the literacy level.




Library Partnership


“Many literacy research confirm that whenstudents have access to a wide and rich

range of literature and information resources,their literacy development is significantlyenhanced.




Library Partnership


Teacher-librarians know how to connect book with

readers with regards to their personal and social

background” [Newman].

That teacher-librarians are “knowledgeable in all

areas of the curriculum, the integration of various

resources in the curriculum, the promotion of reading,

and the development of information literacy, they

can be valuable partners in developing students

learning” [Doiron and Arsenault]




Library Partnership


Teacher librarians are aware that there needsto be specific activities to make the readerbecome more proficient and creative.

“Today’s literacy programmes are built on theprinciples of direct instruction in skills andstrategies needed to read successfully, plusnumerous activities to motivate students toread” [Doiron and Arsenault].




Library Partnership


On the other hand, public libraries are also aware of the necessity for students to learn to read and read to learn.

This is evident as they have been providing activities and programmes such as homework centres, reading activities for various age groups to stimulate their interest in reading.




Library Partnership


They also provide reading resources that arerelevant to students’ curriculum needs toallow them to read and learn more about

what they have been introduced to by theirteachers.




Library Partnership

Public and School Library Partnership in Jamaica

The Library and Information Association ofJamaica (LIAJA) a library association with verylittle resources needed a partner which has a

presence in the community, has resourcesand interested in improving literacy, and hasan interest in books and libraries.




Library Partnership


The Jamaica Library Service (JLS) was the ideal

partner.

This institution provides under the Ministry of Education

and Youth, a Public Library Network and a School

Library Network with responsibility for one hundred

and twenty-six (126) public libraries and nine hundred

and twenty-eight (928) school libraries throughout the

island.




Library Partnership


These libraries also provide free, unlimitedpublic access to print and electronicresources and operate four hundred and sixty-five (465) mobile library stops as well as offersaccess points for twenty-three (23) specialcategories of persons.

The idea was to reach all groups in thesociety. [JLS]




Library Partnership


For 2010-2011 LIAJA and JLS initiated a new

partnership under the theme

Learn to Read-Read- Learn @Your Library

The phrase @your library was coined by theAmerican Library Association as a publiccampaign that promotes the value of librariesand librarians.




Library Partnership


Jamaica joined this campaign through theLibrary and Information Association ofJamaica (LIAJA) with theme: Learn to Read-Read to Learn @Your Library as the mainfocus of their 60th Anniversary.




Library Partnership


The theme was coined with the belief that “Reading is

like providing the mind with nourishment. Knowledge

is the food for the mind and soul and apart from giving

us the basic information about the world around us, it

also provides us with the food for thought. It

encourages us to think. It increases our hunger for

knowledge and our thirst to learn more” [Oak] and the

school and the public libraries can provide the

environment where this can be accomplished.




Library Partnership

The two main objectives to be achieved by the programme are:

To develop creative and literate learners through reading, writing, books, and art;

To encourage students to use the resources of the public, school and other information units as well as virtual libraries to improve literacy skills so that they will be able to cope with literacy demands of everyday living.




Library Partnership

The activities planned to achieve theseobjectives were integrated with the activitieson the Ministry of Education Calendar ofEvents as well as the Jamaica Teachers’Association so that what was done wasmeaningful to all participants.




Library Partnership

Poster Competition

The first activity held was a Poster Competitionwhich was launched to sensitize the entirenation about the “Learn to Read-Read to

Learn” activities.




Library Partnership

Activities

The launch of this competition took place onMarch 19, 2010. Key persons from theMinistry of Education and the JamaicaTeachers’ Association, The Jamaica ReadingAssociation, principals, teachers andstudents from primary and high schoolsattended and indicated their support for theprogramme.




Library Partnership

Poster Advertising the Launch The criteria for the Poster Competition




Library Partnership

Some of the persons attending the Launch of the Learn to Read-Read to Learn Poster Competition




Library Partnership

The winner was announced at the RegularMeeting of the LIAJA held on June 19, 2010.

This Poster was reproduced and sent fordisplay in public spaces such as libraries,government offices and institutions.




Library Partnership




Library Partnership

Posting Book Review on Facebook Page

Participants who were 13 years and over were

encouraged to post reviews and comments about

what they have read on the Library and Information

Association of Jamaica (LIAJA) and the Jamaica

Library Service (JLS) Facebook Page.

This medium was used because it is an attractive

communication tool which gave participants age 13

and over an opportunity to express themselves about

what they have read.




Library Partnership


Writing book reviews was seen as a necessarypart of the programme because readers needto read critically and become critical thinkers.

This will also build participants comprehensionskills.




Library Partnership


This process is important because “Reading isprimary. One can write only as well as one

reads. To write better, you must learn to readbetter” [Kurland]




Library Partnership




Library Partnership

Reading Week April 18-24, 2010

Well known personalities were invited to read to students at the parish and branch libraries within the JLS network.




Library Partnership

Reading Week April 18 – 24 2010

Librarian engaging students in literacy activities




Library Partnership

Education Week May 2-7, 2010

Librarians from the Jamaica Library Service, academic libraries, and Special libraries visited schools to conduct reading activities.

Students who were not members of the public library were encouraged to become members.




Library Partnership

Education Week

Librarians engaging students in reading activities on Teachers’ Day




Library Partnership

Other Planned Activities

Literacy Day- September 8, 2010

Librarians representing LIAJA and the JLS will offer their service to the Jamaica Foundation for Life Long Learning (JFLL)

This is an agency of the Ministry of Education which provides basic education programmes for young adults 15 years and over. It has centres around the island where teachers and students meet for classes on a regular basis.




Library Partnership

Literacy Day- September 8, 2010

Both entities will:

1. Assist the teachers to teach reading;

2. Teach students how to write book reviews;

3. Assist in the selection of high interest-low vocabulary

readers (books at the readers’ interest level but

written at a lower reading level to encourage

reading.




Library Partnership

Reading Symposium – November 3, 2010

To end the reading activities for this year a forum will be held during Library Week which will be celebrated in October 31- November 6, 2010.

Students chosen from selected schools and adults from the National Parent Association will be assigned a particular book to be read and will later discuss at the forum.

These students will be selected from high schools,

primary schools and special schools (Hearing

impaired)




Library Partnership


Students will be required to write a book review to be submitted before Library Week. These will be judged and a prize will be awarded to the student who writes the best review.

Students will be quizzed about the bookand the student who gives the most correctanswers will also be given a prize




Library Partnership


Students and the adults who have participated will be given the opportunity to read a section of the book.

Jamaica writer will also be present to talk to participants and attendees about the importance of reading and writing




Library Partnership

Conclusion

It is therefore evident that providing a partnership between public and school libraries can play a positive role in helping individuals learn to read which will allow them to gain knowledge in all aspects of life.

This will pave the way to academic achievement and life-long learning. We must all remember that “To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark (Hugo) and the more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go” (Dr. Seuss).



@Your Library: Public and

School

Library Partnership

QUESTIONS

Paulette Stewart, PhDMavis Williams2010


5 ifla2010 s108_stewart

Documents

school andpublic library

library services

single library collection

collaboration public

students curriculum

developing students

additional reading resources

promotion of readingthey