This is the first in a series of posts designed to further discussion of the PLA Results service responses, designed in 1998 to describe “what a library does for, or offers to, the public in an effort to meet a set of well-defined community needs.”
The bulleted comments below were gathered in sessions at conferences by the PLA Results team, in an effort to update the current service responses, which were originally written almost ten years ago. The PLA Results group is looking to the community for feedback on how to update these service responses to better reflect current public library methods and standards.
“A library that offers Basic Literacy service addresses the need to read and to perform other essential daily tasks” (definition care of the PLA Results site). The current version of the Basic Literacy service response, is available for review on the PLA Results web site (the file is an Adobe .pdf file, and requires Adobe Reader to view).
Share your feedback on the current Basic Literacy service response, as well as the starter comments listed below, by leaving a comment on this post page. You can help PLA Results bring public library service responses into the 21st century!
Basic Literacy Discussion Group Comments
What is included in Basic Literacy?
- Is Emergent literacy here – if so, should be clearer.
- Is Family literacy here – if so, should be clearer.
- ESL needs to have a stronger emphasis. Maybe we should use the term ELL (English Language Learners).
- This gets confused with the Information Literacy service response. The word literacy in both is confusing.
Is this a service that is primarily provided with partners? Is it ever a high library priority?
- There used to be lots of grant money – those resources are drying up.
- Tends to be done in partnership with other agencies that might be more directly involved.
- Tends to roll into Commons – we provide the space for others to offer classes.
Other Comments
- Librarians frequently don’t have the skills to do the teaching.
- In some states such as Florida, libraries have very active programs.
- Also have issue that some non-English language speakers are illiterate in their native language.
- Is basic a loaded term? Is it necessary? Maybe we should use just term Literacy.
Go back to the Service Response Discussion Index.
There are 11 Comments to "Service Response Discussion: Basic Literacy"
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Early literacy/emergent literacy is a major role of most public libraries. I think Basic Literacy implies adult literacy programs to many members of the public. At the same time, large numbers of taxpayers support public libraries because they believe they are important for children. I think services for preschoolers should be made more explicit. I would also like to see at least the role description emphasize the outreach efforts and partnerships so essential to this role.
Core services:
The public library is the only institution in America whose mission is information sharing, unconstrained by other considerations.
Media, for example, are constrained by the profit motive.
Public schools are constrained by government content control.
Private schools are constrained by parochial missions and restriction of users.
Since information is power, democratic sharing of information is a necessary condition of democracy.
No public library = no democracy.
I believe knowledge inspires ideas.Information is the primary element of knowledge.As/Librarian,i am responsible for linking people to information using the best and most appropriate tools avaible,I do this openly and without judgement or regard for race,creed,religion,disability,gender,,age,or economic status.Ideas are essential for individuals,and ideas drive the evolution of humanity.
Where there os light,there are no secrets.Do not take goog decisions,without good informations
Bujar Kocana
Library Director
Albania
What has consistently weakened the second generation Planning Process as compared to the first was the dropping of “Preschoolers’ Door To Learning” as a possible role. You fail to understand the way in which many citizen Library Boards react when no ‘services to children’ are listed as separate possible roles – if it isn’t there in black-and-white then it isn’t chosen. With the shrinking of traditional reference services, children are more important than ever, but have been neglected in the past decade’s planning by PLA — and no, please don’t insult us by saying that it is possible to include children in any of the suggested roles. Preschool children don’t need to be taught information in the public library; they need strong programs that attract them in order to help them learn to love books and to love reading.
As Librarians in the 21st century we are the gatekeepers of providing information to library users. In addition to providing resources to meet the information, educational, and recreational needs of the different multiculture ethnic groups in our communities around the world. As the Information Provision Enviornment (IPE) continues to change , we as librarians need to understand that libraries today are community centers in most cities.
It is important to acknowlege the role the library can play in educating parents with young children on skills they can use to help their child be ready to read when starting kindergarten. The early literacy buzz words are out there, but many parents do not understand what they mean or what they can do to develop early literacy skills in their child. Storytimes are perfect ways to do this as we model for the parents how to read the books, and interject ideas they can use as they interact with their child.
The definitions given for the Service Responses are very generic. They don’t really explain what services should be offered which makes it difficult to use them to evaluate your Library’s services.
Basic Literacy is too narrow. It implies a focus on Adult Basic Education (ABE) which is teaching adults whose primary language is English to read. Many libraries have much higher percentage of students in English Language Learning than ABE. Family & Emergent Literacy and GED programs are also important. Whether libraries actually provide literacy services or work with partners to provide resources such as space, curriculum materials, online educational tools – this is an important role for libraries. One that the public expects library to provide. Keeping the scope broad so that all of these programs -either some or all- can be incorporated will serve libraries well.
If one pays attention to recent measures of the literacy levels of the U.S. population, it becomes apparent that public libraries must provide text materials for adults which are accessible at lower levels of attainment and services to those who would improve their skills. The public still believes and expects that libraries are for learning.
I think the term “basic literacy” is meant to distinguish this focus from that of information literacy, but it has a strong association with remedial literacy. I like “emergent literacy” as a term that has the connotation of encouraging the development of literacy at whatever stage. Personally, I think that encouraging families is one of the best practices for libraries. Individuals who grow up with a close association to the library, know it as a source of communityand assistance, not just a place where books are shelved and computers are available. — In particular, establishing relationships with families, home-schoolers and schools, not only provides a valuable service for the community, but it is the lifeblood of libraries. It establishes lifelong relationships.