Dollar General Summer Reading Grants
Deadline: February 28, 2012

Dollar General Literacy Foundation Summer Reading Grants provide funding to local nonprofit organizations and libraries to help with the implementation or expansion of summer reading programs. Programs must target Pre-K through 12th grade students who are new readers, below grade level readers or readers with learning disabilities.

Dollar General Adult Literacy Grants
Deadline: February 28, 2012

Dollar General Literacy Foundation Adult Literacy Grants award funding to nonprofit organizations that provide direct service to adults in need of literacy assistance. Organizations must provide help in one of the following instructional areas:

• Adult Basic Education
• General Education Diploma Preparation
• English Language Acquisition

Dollar General Family Literacy Grants
Deadline: February 28, 2012

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation Family Literacy Grants provide funding to family literacy service providers. The Foundation uses the federal government’s definition of family literacy when reviewing grant applications. Organizations applying for funding must have the following four components:Adult Education Instruction

• Children’s Education
• Parent and Child Together Time (PACT)
• Parenting Classes

Dollar General Youth Literacy Grants
Deadline: May 16, 2012

Dollar General Literacy Foundation Youth Literacy Grants provide funding to schools, public libraries, and nonprofit organizations to help students who are below grade level or experiencing difficulty reading. Grant funding is provided to assist in the following areas:

• Implementing new or expanding existing literacy programs
• Purchasing new technology or equipment to support literacy initiatives
• Purchasing books, materials or software for literacy programs

Innovative Use of Skill-based Volunteers in Public Libraries – October 19, 2011

Teaming Up with Teens @ Your Library – October 25, 2011

The Find-a-Book site uses a student’s reading score in Lexiles, a measure of reading ability and text difficulty derived from state standardized tests, including the ISAT. The website also features a search option to access appropriate book choices based on grade level and comfort with typical reading materials at that grade level. Research has shown the powerful impact of continued reading. One review of the impact of summer reading found that children can lose up to 60 percent of their skills during a two-month vacation. Children who read during the summer months, however, can sustain their reading gains and are better prepared for learning when the school bell rings again in the fall.

Secretary White also encourages parents to talk with children about the fun and importance of summer reading and take them to the local public library. Librarians have information about Lexiles and other programs such as the iREAD program, a summer reading program offered through the Illinois Library Association (ILA).
The 2011 iREAD Summer Reading Program theme is “A Midsummer Knight’s Read.”Local library iREAD programming will include activities, games, art, reading lists and much more for children, teens and adults. Check it out at your local public library or go to the ILA iREAD website at http://www.ila.org/iread/iread-summer-reading-program

For more information about available performance themes, please see Judith’s website at:   www.storytelling.org/heineman or http://www.arts.illinois.gov/artstour-roster/judith-heineman

Questions about participating in the grant?  Contact Laura Frizol, LaSalle Public Library   lfrizol@lasalle.lib.il.us

Teen Tech Week 2011 is March 6-12! Teen Tech Week is a national initiative aimed at teens, librarians, educators, parents, and other concerned adults that highlights nonprint resources at the library. The 2011 theme — Mix and Mash @ your library — focuses on encouraging teens to use library resources to express their creativity by developing their own unique online content and safely sharing it by using online collaborative tools. (from ALA)

Take a look at ALA’s webpage for publicity, resources, and ideas.

It’s true the snow is still flying – really flying here in Illinois- but this is still the perfect time to start wishful thoughts for warm weather and the summer reading programming that comes with it. Illinois has a rich tradition of supporting summer reading through the ILA iRead program, but you can still warm up your summer reading program with a creative spark from the resources and ideas listed in this edition of “What’s New @ WJIL.”

Contents: Resources | Courses and Learning | Community | What could I do with…? | What’s New RSS Feed

“What’s New” RSS Feed

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Resources

ILA iRead: A Midsummer Knight’s Read

• The 2011 iREAD Summer Reading Program theme is A Midsummer Knight’s Read, with David Catrow as one of the featured illustrators. Order your 2011 Summer Reading products online or find out more about the Resources and Research related to Summer Reading Programs on the ILA web site.

Summer Reading Program ideas from around the nation

On January 20, 2011 several WJ community partners gathered to share ideas and discuss their approach to summer reading programs. Find out what some other states are doing by browsing these links…

• Collaborative Summer Library Program. CSLP began in 1987 when ten Minnesota regional library systems developed a summer library program for children, choosing a theme, creating artwork and selecting incentives that public libraries in the regions could purchase and use. State libraries and systems continue to join and CSLP continues to evolve, but its guiding principle remains the same, librarians sharing ideas, expertise and costs to produce a high-quality summer reading program for children.
• Ohio Summer Reading Program and Resources. Links include resources for supporting ELL/ESOL children through summer reading programs.
• Ohio Ready to Read Program: The State Library of Ohio and the Ohio Library Council have created Ohio Ready To Read to help address the early literacy needs of Ohio’s youngest citizens. Ohio Ready To Read is a major ongoing statewide initiative to disseminate early literacy information to public library staff and trustees, early child care providers, educators, children’s advocates, parents, and political decision makers.

Read about Summer Reading

Links to blogs, reports, briefs, handouts, and programmatic resources on the subject of reading initiatives and summer reading in particular. Highlights include…

• Summer Reading Programs Boost Student Achievement - Dominican University SLIS
• Summer Reading Programs in Action – links to New York, Ohio, Idaho and Virginia Summer Reading Programs

Courses and Learning

Library Reading Incentive Programs for Summer and Beyond - WJ Webinar

• Join this showcase of reading initiatives that will draw readers of all ages to your library. Presenters will share how they plan, promote, and carry out successful summer reading programs, and will discuss year-round efforts that encourage and support lifelong readership in the community. Panelist Melanie A. Lyttle, head of public services at the Madison Public Library in Ohio, will describe her library’s use of social media to support their summer reading program, including the famed “Crabby Librarian.” Janet Ingraham Dwyer, library consultant at the State Library of Ohio, will talk about other successful reading programs in her state including Choose to Read Ohio, a statewide initiative which encourages Ohioans of all ages to read and enjoy books together.

WebJunction Partners Share Summer Reading Program: Webinar Archive

• Archive and associated resources for Janary 20, 2011, webinar Archive and associated resources for the January 20, 2011, partner meeting with Cheryl Space, Janet Ingraham Dwyer, Naphtali Faris, Ann Roberts and Michele Farley presenting. Take note of related resource links below the video of the webinar archive.

Community

Join the discussion and sharing during the upcoming February 15th WJ Webinar – Library Reading Incentive Programs for Summer and Beyond. Enroll now on L2.

What Could I do with…Summer Reading Program Resources

Put a warm smile on your face as you browse the many creative  and innovative ideas aimed at helping you develop the best programs and services for summer reading and early childhood literacy.  It’s not too early to start. In fact now is the perfect time!

The current generation of teens is the most ethnically diverse and technologically plugged-in ever. Is your library ready to serve them? YALSA’s Competencies for Librarians Serving Youth play a key role in everyday service to young adult patrons.

Join Sarah Flowers, YALSA President-elect and author of Young Adults Deserve the Best: Putting YALSA’s Competencies into Action, to discuss practical ways to promote and apply the competencies to ensure quality library service to the teens in your community.

Visit L2 for registration.

Need to develop or improve your library services to youth? This webinar will provide you with a basic primer on how to attract and keep young adults interested in your library services and programs and how to create an atmosphere of inclusion comfortable for you, your staff and your local young adults. Join Jill Jarrell, librarian, author and web content consultant, and Maurice Coleman, Technical Trainer at Harford County Public Library, to learn about materials and tactics that can help bring the reluctant reader back into the library and how to create a safe and welcoming space for your young adults.

Visit L2 for registration.

The LACONI Youth Services Section is sponsoring an author visit on September 24 from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., with Simone Elkeles, author of Perfect Chemistry (an Abraham Lincoln Award nominated title). 

After lunch, Professor Janice Del Negro from Dominican University will walk us through some best-loved books that we may have missed.  This all day event takes place at the newly opened Oswego Public Library District Montgomery Campus and costs only $25.00 for the whole day, including lunch.  CPDUs are available.  We need your registration and payment by September 17.  The registration form and information about the LACONI organization is available at www.laconi.org, or print the registration form.

The Montgomery campus is located near the intersection of Rt. 30 and Rt. 34 at 1111 Reading Drive, Montgomery, IL 60538

Going north on Rt. 34 –

• Turn left on Rt. 30
• Turn Right at the light onto Goodwin Drive
• Turn Left (first let) onto Reading Drive

Going East on Rt. 30 –

• Turn left on Goodwin Drive (This is last light before the intersection with Rt. 34)
• Turn Left (first let) onto Reading Drive

The library is the only thing on Reading Drive.  There is a large parking lot is in the front of the building.

• Alexandra Tyle-Annen & Heather Colby
• Homer Township Public Library
• Joe Marcantonio, Plainfield Public Library
• Teri Rankin, O`Fallon Public Library
• Jennifer Lara, O’Fallon Township High School
• Virginia Freyre, Algonquin Area Public Library
• Amanda Ghobrial, West Chicago Public Library

Wednesday, April 7, 2010
9:30am – 12:30 pm
State-wide Library System Video Conference
Cost $10  (Please write check to Metropolitan Library System. The mailing address is 125 Tower Drive Burr Ridge, Illinois 60527. Attention: Attention: Christina Stoll)

Note: When registering, be sure to select the library system location where you will be attending the workshop.

Register on L2.