Abstract

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Abstract

• Continuing education and lifelong learning are
  cornerstones of public library service delivery
  in Ontario. Since 2002, AlphaPlus has studied
  the relationships between provincially funded
  literacy agencies and local public libraries to
  find where partnerships are flourishing, and
  where others could take root.
• Linking Literacy and Libraries facilitates and
  encourages collaborative and effective
  partnerships that support community development
  through the promotion of adult literacy.

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Public Library Community Chart
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Public library service delivery

• Public library service delivery is funded by the
  Ontario Ministry of Culture, and administered by
  that Ministrys Libraries Branch. Southern
  Ontario Library Service (SOLS) and Ontario
  Library Service North (OLS-North) are AlphaPlus
  equivalent in the Public Library Community in
  Ontario. These agencies provide support services
  to 400 public and First Nations libraries across
  the province. As the largest public library
  system in Canada, the Toronto Public Library
  (TPL) supports the provincial library community
  through the Virtual Reference Library (VRL).

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LBS Service Delivery in Ontario Chart
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LBS service delivery in Ontario

• Adult literacy service delivery is funded in
  Ontario by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and
  Universities (MTCU), and administered by its
  Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS) Section. MTCU
  funds 300 agencies to deliver literacy
  programming to over 50,000 adults in four streams
  Deaf, Native, Francophone, and Anglophone.
  AlphaPlus is a Ministry funded service
  organization that provides resources,
  information, and technical support to the adult
  literacy community in Ontario.

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Phase I Information / data gathering

• Library community survey
• 119 public library CEOs, trustees, and service
  agencies (OLS-North, SOLS) across Ontario
  (Response rate 68)
• Literacy community survey
• 104 delivery agencies, regional networks and
  umbrella organizations across Ontario (Response
  rate 71)
• Project promotion through networking and
  conference

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What we discovered
Existing library / literacy collaborations

• Services provided
• Library orientation / skills
• Learner recruitment
• Instructional space
• Computer time
• Tutor recruitment
• Curriculum support

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What we discovered
Potential library / literacy collaborations

• Library supports sought
• Library orientation / skills
• Learner recruitment
• Instructional space
• Computer time
• Tutor recruitment
• Curriculum support

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Phase IProject accomplishments

• Draft final report
• Survey Data Compilation Report
• Data map linking public library and literacy
  programs in Ontario communities
• Invitations to attend SOLS and OLS-North
  sponsored events to promote AlphaPlus services
• Promotional materials
•  
• See display copies on table

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Special events

• Golden Oak Awards
• ALA / CLA 2003
• Reception
• Poster session
• SOLS First Nations Spring Gathering 2003
• OLA SuperConference
• Promotion (2003)
• Workshop (2004)
• Poster session (2004)

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Phase II Goals and objectives

• Share resources
• Provide literacy resources through Deposit
  Collections
• Collection development
• Provide collection development and evaluation
  through consulting services and a concise guide
• Community awareness
• Establish reference group to discuss and share
  information
• Publish and disseminate two articles in library
  and literacy journals
• Present a project overview at OLA SuperConference
  2004

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Phase IICommunity development partners
Supporting community literacy partnerships in
Ontario through Deposit Collection loans

• Lambton County Library
• Sioux Lookout Public Library
• Six Nations Public Library
• Timmins Public Library

• Collection development
• Vaughan Public Libraries

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Phase II and beyondCommunity development vision

• Future vision for Linking Literacy and Libraries
  is being guided by a Reference Group of key
  representatives the following communities
• Ontario public library community
• First Nations public library community
• Ontario adult literacy community
• Ontario family literacy community
• Provincial and federal government sectors with
  fiscal and policy responsibilities for each
  constituent community
• Please see display table for a list of
  Reference Group members

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Our partners, today and tomorrow