Sarasota Literacy

Anyone have any ideas?

2006-04-12T20:22:00.000-04:00

As a public librarian, I need to acquire effective audiobooks and large print books to help people learn to speak and write in the English language. Can you recommend any proven materials that my library should acquire? Thank you.

User Comment

2006-04-12T20:19:00.000-04:00

I would hate for these two summits to be just feel good experiences. These types of events need to be held in the communities that agencies are providing services to. Let's go to Newtown library or to Arcadia, let's talk to the individuals we are trying to help. Find out what they want, and how they would like us to help them achieve their dreams of literacy and success.

Literacy Summit, Second Half

2006-04-11T13:51:00.000-04:00

How did the Literacy Summit go for you today?

Literacy Summit regroups for part two, encourages new participants

2006-04-06T18:26:00.000-04:00

The conversation continues when the Sarasota County Library System joins a number of organizations in part two of a discussion about literacy in the community. The second session of the Literacy Summit will be held from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Tuesday, April 11, at the Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida Conference Center, 4780 Cattlemen Road, Sarasota. The event is free; anyone with an interest in any aspect of literacy is welcome to attend.
As they did for part one of the Literacy Summit on March 7, Tim Dutton of SCOPE (Sarasota County Openly Plans for Excellence) and Debra Jacobs of the William G. Selby and Marie Selby Foundation will facilitate the conversation. At the March 7 “Morning of Discovery” session, a fast-paced forum that also was held at the conference center, more than 90 participants — including interested individuals and representatives from libraries, businesses, schools, and literacy programs for children and adults — engaged in a conversation about literacy opportunities in Sarasota County.
Participants at the second Literacy Summit session will have the chance to reinforce connections made at the earlier event, meet new participants and explore goals for increased collaboration in literacy efforts throughout the community. The theme of the second session, “Turning Possibilities into Realities,” will explore tangible ways participants can put the ideas from the sessions to work in the community. The goal of the two-part Literacy Summit is to bring together all the players to explore novel ways of looking at a topic that cuts across all ages and segments of society. Participants at the first session were asked to share their excitement about literacy endeavors already underway in the community, to imagine the possibilities for fostering increased literacy in Sarasota County, and to voice concerns about issues that might hamper efforts to expand literacy programs.
Organizations supporting the Literacy Summit include Sarasota County Schools, Girls Incorporated of Sarasota County, the Early Learning and Healthy Start coalitions of Sarasota County, the Literacy Council of Sarasota and the Literacy Volunteers of South Sarasota County. Verizon, Borders Books & Music and Publix Super Markets are sponsoring the Literacy Summit. For more information contact the Sarasota County Call Center at (941) 861-5000 and ask about the Literacy Summit. To register for the free event, contact Sarabeth Kalajian at (941) 861-2502 or by e-mail at skalajian@scgov.net; or Jean Fargo at (941) 861-2505 or jfargo@scgov.net.

More Literacy Summit Information

Links from March 7, 2006 session

2006-04-06T16:27:00.000-04:00

Invitation
http://sclibs.net/CMS/Media/Docs/Invitation.pdf
Condensed Report
http://sclibs.net/CMS/Media/Docs/Report%20-%20Condensed.pdf
Complete Report
http://sclibs.net/CMS/Media/Docs/Report%20-%20Complete.pdf
Report Out comments
http://sclibs.net/CMS/Media/Docs/Session_1_Report_Out.pdf

Background

2006-04-06T16:17:00.000-04:00

Tim Dutton of SCOPE (Sarasota County Openly Plans for Excellence) and Debra Jacobs of the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation facilitated Sarasota's first Literacy Summit, a fast-paced and lively forum held on March 7 at the Girl Scouts Conference Center in Sarasota. More than 90 participants, including representatives from libraries, businesses, schools, literacy programs for children and adults and interested individuals engaged in a conversation about literacy opportunities in Sarasota County. The goal of the Literacy Summit was to bring all the players together to consider questions designed to elicit novel ways of looking at a topic that cuts across every segment of society. Participants were asked to share their excitement about literacy endeavors already underway in the community, to imagine the possibilities for fostering increased literacy in Sarasota County, and to voice concerns about issues that might hamper efforts to expand literacy efforts. Attendees were encouraged to sit with people whom they didn't already know, to get the best possible mix of ideas and to make new connections within the community. The conversation will continue on Tuesday, April 11, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., again at the Girl Scouts Conference Center. Participants at the second Literacy Summit session will have an opportunity to reinforce connections made at the earlier event and to explore goals for increased collaboration in literacy efforts throughout the community. If you would like to take part in the April 11 conversation, please contact Sarabeth Kalajian (861-2502) or Jean Fargo (861-2505) at the Fruitville Public Library.