Welcome back! I hope an enjoyable summer has prepared you for the year ahead which appears to be full of new and exciting challenges.

The Council is developing and implementing a provincial strategic plan for literacy. I would like to emphasize plan does not belong to the Council but to everyone involved in literacy. The Council will need your cooperation during the creation of this plan and especially during its implementation. We encourage everyone to get involved in the planning process.

When completed, the plan will provide a vision of literacy and a sense of direction for the entire literacy community. This will be based on a consensus of what the literacy community views as important. It will provide each individual and group with current information about literacy services and practices from a national and provincial perspective.

As literacy advocates we strongly encourage you to assist all readers to play an active role in the planning process. Their views are crucial to the plan. A feeling of ownership in a true spirit of partnership within the reaming environment is paramount to successful reaming experiences. Please talk to reamers about participation and, most importantly, listen to what they have to say. You can send along any comments you have by contacting Council ounces. You may also have an opportunity to air your views and those of reamers during public consultation by contacting Council staff.

To assist interested groups and individuals share in the planning process, the Council, with support from the National Adult Literary Database, is in the process of establishing a strategic planning discussion group and comment section on our homepage. This will allow you the opportunity to share any information you wish to provide. I look forward to hearing from you via the Internet at www.nald.ca/nfldlit.htm

Please be advised that some staff, office locations, telephone and fax numbers have recently changed at the Literacy Development Council. Presently, we maintain two offices Throughout Newfoundland, central office at St. John's, and a regional office at Grand Falls-Windsor. A listing of current addresses and staff is as follows:

St. John's Literacy Development Council Arts 8 Culture Centre Allandale Road St. John's, NF A1B 3A3 Telephone: (709) 737-3966 Fax: (709) 737-3009 Judy Anderson, Executive Director Barbara Lomax Audrey Eustace, Secretaries Wayne Moores, Accountant Telephone: (709) 737-3957 Tony Fennell Educational Partnership Coordinator Telephone: (709) 737-2466

Grand Falls-Windsor Literacy Development Council Arts & Culture Centre 3 Cromer Avenue Grand Falls-Windsor, NF A2A 1W9 Telephone: (709) 489-7723/7759 Fax: (709) 489-7421 Call Toll Free 1-800-563-1111 Don McDonald Director of Programs 8 Services Cherry Hicks, Secretary