A note from the Network...

Welcome Aboard, Lorraine!

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome Lorraine Stacey to the Simcoe/Muskoka Literacy Network. I look forward to working with her in providing all of the literacy programs in our service area with the level of support you have become accustomed to over the last ten years. The summer will give Lorraine the opportunity to become more familiar with literacy and the busy fall season.

On May 20, 2004, I began a mission as Executive Director that has not yet disappointed me. My initiation into the literacy world has many challenges and an abundance of rewards; however, I am beginning to grasp the full spectrum of the Network’s mission. I would like to thank the Board and staff for their support and confidence. I am always rather hesitant to name names for fear that I might inadvertently miss someone. However, I would be remiss if I did not take this opportunity to thank Melanie Remonde for her stamina and assistance. I am looking forward to working with our community partners and over the summer, I will be getting out to meet with each of them.

The Network has and will continue to forge ahead with partnerships, coordinate community service planning and support literacy agencies in meeting the literacy needs of adults.

Literacy is a down to the ground face-to-face personal issue that will be won with each person. The Network will do whatever it takes to ensure everyone’s journey takes him or her directly to the finish line. Have a safe and happy summer!

Next issue: Fall 2004

Linking Literacy and Libraries:
Community partnerships that work

Do LBS programs know what their local public library has to offer? Do public libraries understand the structure and resource needs of LBS programs? Since the fall of 2002, the National Literacy Secretariat has funded Linking Literacy and Libraries, a project that has studied relationships between LBS agencies and local public libraries to find out where partnerships are flourishing and where others could take root. By encouraging partnership development, AlphaPlus hopes to increase accessibility, awareness, quality and cost effectiveness of resource delivery to adult literacy programs, practitioners and learners. During Phase I of Linking Literacy and Libraries, AlphaPlus discovered that:

Over 30% of Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS) programs surveyed have existing partnerships with their local libraries.

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