Category Archives: Literacy

Literacy Leaders Book

Best Practices of Literacy Leaders
Keys to School Improvement
Second Edition. Guilford Press, 2020.
Edited by Allison Swan Dagen and Rita M. Bean
25% off with a special ILA member discount:
$40.00, $30.00
GET IT HERE  ► 
This authoritative text and practitioner resource has now been extensively revised and expanded with 70% new material covering new topics and standards in literacy leadership.

Prominent experts present research-based methods for improving instruction, assessment, and professional learning experiences in PreK–12. The distinct roles of teachers, reading/literacy specialists, literacy coaches, special educators, and principals are explored, with an emphasis on fostering a culture of collaboration. Chapters highlight the standards that apply to each component of a schoolwide literacy program, give examples of what they look like in schools, and share implications for classroom practice and professional learning. Pedagogical features include guiding questions, case examples, vignettes, engagement activities, and annotated resources for further learning.

Research on School Librarians’ Impact on Literacy

Margaret Merga has three articles published on the impact of school librarians on students’ literacy:

Merga, M. K. (2019). School libraries fostering children’s literacy and literature learning: mitigating the barriers. Literacy. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331950946_School_libraries_fostering_children%27s_literacy_and_literature_learning_mitigating_the_barriers

Merga, M. K. (2019). How do librarians in schools support struggling readers?. English in Education, 53(2), 145-160. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/04250494.2018.1558030

Merga, M. K. (2019). Collaborating With Teacher Librarians to Support Adolescents’ Literacy and Literature Learning. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy.

Library of Congress Literacy Awards Call

We are pleased to share with you the call for applications for the 2020 U.S. Library of Congress (LOC) Literacy Awards. Applications will be accepted for the 2020 Library of Congress Literacy Awards beginning January 13, and the deadline for applications is March 6.

There are 3 separate awards: The David M. Rubenstein Prize, The American Prize, and the International Prize. Please refer to the web page at http://read.gov/literacyawards and to the attached PDF file for further information and instructions.

IFLA Toolkit for Library Engagement in Literacy and Reading Strategies

IFLA Toolkit for Library Engagement in Literacy and Reading Strategies

“Getting to know the contents of the gift package at Masaryk Public Library Vsetín ” by Michal Kovác, CC BY 4.0, https://bit.ly/2KRJSiRDiscovering the Content of a Library Gift Package for Young Parents at Masaryk Public Library Vsetín, Michal Kovác, CC BY 4.0, https://bit.ly/2KRJSiR

IFLA’s new toolkit aims to help library associations, institutions and individual library and information workers to advocate for libraries’ role in literacy and reading to be recognised in relevant national strategy documents.

Libraries play a major role in supporting literacy and reading through providing access to books and promoting a love of them throughout life.

Yet to realise their potential fully, libraries’ role needs to be recognised by governments, and integrated into broader literacy and reading strategies. This is the path to more effective partnerships, as well as adequate resources.

This  IFLA Toolkit aims to provide guidance and flexible materials for library associations, their members and the wider Library and Information Science (LIS) community when engaging with relevant public authorities in order to ensure this.

It focuses primarily at national-level strategies, and complements work elsewhere into developing strategies for libraries in particular. The toolkit includes chapters looking at how to structure an advocacy campaign around this, as well as arguments and evidence to use in order to strengthen your case. It also contains an extensive list of resources you can use.

It is – as the name suggests – a toolkit. Depending on the situation in your country – who is responsible for literacy, who pays, whether you have a strategy already – you will need different tools. You can therefore adapt this document, and make your own additions or variations.

For downloads and more information, go to https://www.ifla.org/publications/node/92449

Learning Environment and Resources Report

The following report is a research-based position paper about the importance of a supportive learning environment with high quality resources. The report states:”All educators .. have a responsible to ensure responsiveness within instruction, books, assessments, and digital spaces for all students.”

International Literacy Association. (2019). Right to Supportive Learning Environments and High-Quality Resources. Newark, NJ: Author.

https://literacyworldwide.org/docs/default-source/where-we-stand/ila-right-to-supportive-learning-environments-high-quality-resources.pdf

Literacy Statement Response


“The International Association for School Librarianship’s (IASL) Executive Board composed a response to the International Literacy Association (ILA) Position Statement entitled: “Children’s Rights to Excellent Literacy Instruction”

<https://www.literacyworldwide.org/docs/default-source/where-we-stand/ila-childrens-rights-to-excellent-literacy-instruction.pdf>.

Please read IASL’s response to ILA https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x5tWQNormku0u5xA1AbIXr3VQxcCFbN-/view?usp=sharing.

If you support IASL’s response, please sign here and indicate your literacy associations to express your concern that school librarians and libraries are not included in this ILA position statement: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kEwc_woIFJIK4n8QxTuAhDW8ktUgbbffeYShN0QsIYU/edit?usp=sharing” You are also welcome to share this editable link in your own networks. You do not have to be an IASL member to do so.

Prison Libraries and Lifelong Learning

The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) published this week the first UNESCO publication on prison libraries, highlighting their contribution to the personal development and education of incarcerated adults and young people.  

Books beyond bars: The transformative potential of prison libraries, written by Lisa Krolak, UIL’s Chief Librarian, will be officially launched at the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) 2019, in Athens, Greece, from 24 to 30 August 2019.

The publication examines the critical role prison libraries play in supporting the mandate of prison authorities around the world to rehabilitate and reintegrate inmates into society. Providing inmates with access to reading materials and information is particularly important as the majority of those who find themselves in detention facilities come from challenging socio-economic backgrounds and have limited education and low literacy skills. By offering a variety of reading and learning materials, from easy to expert levels, in various languages, prison libraries provide lifelong learning opportunities, thereby improving inmates’ chances of successful reintegration on release.

Using a prison library can be a transformative and powerful experience with far-reaching and lasting effects. Books beyond bars highlights examples from selected prison library systems from around the world, demonstrating challenges and best practice, and thus revealing their potential as sources of information, education, culture and recreation.