================================================================= ALAWON Volume 6, Number 44 ISSN 1069-7799 June 6, 1997 American Library Association Washington Office Newsline In this issue: (174 lines) ALA CONFERENCE UPDATE: LIBRARY ADVOCACY 102 - SHAPING THE DEBATE: INFLUENCING DECISION MAKERS READ*WRITE*NOW! -- THE SUMMER COMPONENT OF AMERICA READS CHALLENGE _________________________________________________________________ ALA CONFERENCE UPDATE: LIBRARY ADVOCACY 102 - SHAPING THE DEBATE: INFLUENCING DECISION MAKERS The new legislative advocacy program funded with a World Book/ALA Goal Award will be offered for the first time at an ALA Annual Conference on June 28. (It got rave reviews at Midwinter.) The training is now available to ALA chapters and others wishing to offer this training at the state, regional and local levels. For information, contact the ALA Public Information Office, pio@ala.org, telephone: 800-545-2433, ext. 5044. Library Advocacy 102 SHAPING THE DEBATE: INFLUENCING DECISION MAKERS Saturday, June 28, 1997 1:30 to 4 p.m. (Chapter Conclave) Moscone Convention Center, Room 132 ALA Annual Conference San Francisco WELCOME Margo Crist, President, Chapter Relations Committee INTRODUCTION Patricia Glass Schuman, Chair, Library Advocacy Now! Network. CHANGING POLITICAL CLIMATE/WAYS TO BE EFFECTIVE Carol Henderson, executive director, ALA Washington Office WHAT MAKES AN EFFECTIVE CONSTITUENT VISIT Diane Longshore, chief of staff to Calif. State Senator Richard K. Rainey; introduced by Anne Marie Gold, Contra Costa County Librarian THE VISIT: DO'S AND DON'T OF DEALING WITH legislators Glenn Miller, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Library Association HOW TO HANDLE TOUGH QUESTIONS Pat Schuman, Janet Welch and Bill Crumlish, of the New York Library Association Public Awareness Project ROLE PLAY -- WHAT NOT TO DO ON YOUR OFFICE VISIT Adam Eisgrau, Mary Costable, Claudette Tennant, ALA Washington Office ROLE PLAY-- PRACTICE AN OFFICE VISIT WITH CALIFORNIA AND OTHER EXPERTS WRAP-UP Presented by the Library Advocacy Now! Network in cooperation with the ALA Chapter Relations Committee, Legislation Committee and Public Awareness Committee. Made possible by a World Book/ALA Goal Award. _________________________________________________________________ READ*WRITE*NOW! -- THE SUMMER COMPONENT OF AMERICA READS CHALLENGE Note: The following a reposting of information from the U.S. Department of Education. For more information on America Reads Challenge, visit http://www.ed.gov/inits/americareads/. READ*WRITE*NOW! is the summer component of the America Reads Challenge, President Clinton's initiative to ensure that all children can read well & independently by the end of 3rd grade. This summer, the volunteer reading program is aiming to reach 1.5 million children. Participating in READ*WRITE*NOW! is one good way to encourage children to keep up their reading skills during the summer. Summer reading opportunities for children at risk of academic failure can actually prevent summer reading loss & keep them on the same track as their more advantaged peers. Based on the best in research & effective practice, READ*WRITE*NOW! * Asks children to read 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week; * Asks volunteer learning partners to work with children at least 1 or 2 of those days for 30 minutes; * Encourages children to learn 1 new vocabulary word a day, 5 days a week, and; * Asks children to get a library card & use it. How do I get involved in the America Reads Challenge: READ*WRITE*NOW!? All you need to READ*WRITE*NOW! is a child, a learning partner (a teenager, senior citizen, caring community member, or relative), & a book. Call your local library, youth club, or summer school program to see if they would like to participate in READ*WRITE*NOW! Then, identify volunteer learning partners & match them with children. To reach more young readers in your community & engage more learning partners, find a sponsor to reprint America Reads Challenge: READ*WRITE*NOW! materials. What materials are available? * "Activities for Reading & Writing Fun" from the READ*WRITE*NOW! *basic kit* -- This is the basic literacy kit to get children preschool-6th grade & reading partners started. The kit includes an activities book, a vocabulary log, a bookmark, & two certificates. Every public library in the country will have kits. This Activities booklet has just been added to our Online Library at: http://www.ed.gov/Family/RWN/Activ97/ * The Early Childhood Kit -- Two basic literacy kits, one for parents & one for caregivers to enhance the language skills of young children from birth to age 5. Each kit includes an activities book, a growth chart, & a calender of activities for children. http://www.ed.gov/inits/americareads/RSRkit.html * The Learning Partners Guide -- A guide to tutoring for learning partners to help children develop their reading and writing skills. http://www.udel.edu/ETL/RWN/Tutorman.html * The Just Add Kids! Resource Directory -- A compilation of national organizations that can be useful in starting & supporting community reading projects. http://www.ed.gov/Family/JustAddKids/ A new "Activities for Reading & Writing Fun" booklet, which has been added to the U.S. Department of Education's library. Dr. Edward Kameenui & Dr. Deborah Simmons of the University of Oregon are the primary authors of the booklet, which includes also activities for children from birth to preschool & preschool to Grade 2. For a paper copy call 1-800-USA-LEARN. _________________________________________________________________ ALAWON is a free, irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office. To subscribe, send the message: subscribe ala-wo [your_firstname] [your_lastname] to listproc @ala.org. ALAWON archives at http://www.ala.org/washoff/alawon. Visit our Web site at http://www.alawash.org. ALA Washington Office 202.628.8410 (V) 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, #403 202.628.8419 (F) Washington, DC 20004-1701 800.941.8478 (V) Lynne E. Bradley, Editor Deirdre Herman, Managing Editor Contributors: Mary Costabile Claudette Tennant All materials subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with appropriate credits. =================================================================