January 2009 Articles |
State Librarian’s ReportLiteracy=Lifelong Learning=Success in LifeOne cannot open a newspaper these days without being bombarded with bad news, especially about the economy. The silver lining is that our public libraries are being used more heavily during this downward turn in the economy. Their importance is ever more apparent especially in the area of literacy. The State Library is involved with many of these literacy programs. At the December State Library Board meeting, the State Library Board approved a Library Services and Technology Act grant to fund the next stage of the Ohio Ready to Read project. This will allow additional training across the state so that librarians and early childhood care providers can work together so that our youngest residents are ready to read – and to learn – when they enter kindergarten. In addition, Ruth Metcalf has been working with a variety of partners on a take-off on the “One Book” reading promotion projects (for additional info on this go to http://www.read.gov/cfb/). The project called “Choose to Read Ohio” is described in greater detail in an article in this newsletter. Ruth and her committee members have chosen 4 titles (3 contemporary and one classic) in 3 categories (young children, young adults and adults). Over the next few months, they will be developing support material to be used in conjunction with these titles. The program will be formally introduced during the Ohioana Book Festival in May 2009. More details can be found at http://oh.webjunction.org/ohctrointro. When I think about literacy and what it means, I remember my daughter in kindergarten and how she wanted the “magic” so that she could open a book and read on her own. This was about more than the act of reading. It was about opening not only a book but the entire world. We know that there are no bounds on what a person can learn if one can read. There is nothing more magical than that and that is the magic we want for each and every one of our children. |
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