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News You Can Use
ALA Unit/Subunit: ALA
Meeting Type: News You Can Use
Cost: Included with full conference registration.
Open/Closed: Open
Since its inception in 2007, the American Dream Literacy Initiative (http://www.ala.org/advocacy/literacy/americandream) has supported public libraries throughout the United States in initiating or expanding literacy services for adult English language learners. Administered by the American Library Association and funded by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, the program has provided a total of 214 grants to 188 libraries, across six cohorts. The grants allow libraries to augment their print and digital English as a Second Language collections; increase computer access and training; provide job training; hold English Language Learning, General Educational Development, and citizenship classes; and raise the visibility of services for immigrant populations. This session will share findings and recommendations from a multi-year evaluation study, as well as highlight individual grantee libraries’ successes and stories from the field.