Six small libraries in rural Minnesota were recently selected for a year of specialized training and mentoring. The pilot initiative was designed by Library Strategies, a consulting arm of the Friends of the Saint Paul (MN) Public Library, and funded by a $388,000 grant from the Otto Bremer Foundation. The program, entitled “L3: The Bremer [...]
Bristol’s Literacy Academy Bridges Digital Divide
By on August 6, 2012
In Bristol, a city straddling the border of Tennessee and Virginia, the Bristol Public Library (BPL) is taking digital literacy training to the next level. The library employs a small staff of full-time teachers, who have made computer training a key component of BPL’s 25 year-old Patricia Freedman Literacy Academy (PFLA). The academy launched as a GED prep program in the late 1980s, and even then, it offered a small computer component for students who wanted to learn keyboarding, said BPL Executive Director Jud Barry. Computers have since become ubiquitous, and five years ago, BPL opened a new main library with a computer lab, where the teachers are available for one-on-one instruction five days per week.
Therapy Dogs’ Presence Steadily Grows in Libraries
By on February 6, 2012
When it comes to learning, libraries around the country are steadily discovering that a dog can teach patrons, young and old, a few tricks.
