September 2022

I’m doing a bit of recycling with my September submission. Below is a brief article I wrote for the Friends of the Petaluma Library newsletter. There is no good censorship.

LIBRARIES ARE FOR EVERYONE (There is no good censorship)
Any book worth banning is a book worth reading. — Isaac Asimov

I have a few thoughts on our library system’s stand on the right to free expression and open-to-all philosophy. On May 1, 2017, the Sonoma County Library Commission voted on a Statement of Inclusivity reaffirming our core library values. It stated: 

Public libraries have long been known as one of the truly democratic institutions. Public libraries champion First Amendment rights and promote free access to information for all. Public libraries offer services and educational resources that promote inclusion and diversity to all in the community. In light of the uncertainty many feel in our current society, we reaffirm: Sonoma County Library values diversity, empowerment, community, unity, kindness, connection, and equity. Sonoma County Library provides service to all races, all genders, all sexual orientations, all religions, all abilities, all ages, all national or ethnic origins, all languages, all citizenship statuses, all economic statuses, all political affiliations, all people. Sonoma County Library is an inclusive community hub where people intersect and thrive.

Most of us recognize that suppression, ignorance, censorship, and manipulation are the tools of tyrants and con artists. That is why we, as library advocates, support the principles of openness and accountability. We understand that everyone benefits when treated with respect, and ideas and information are freely shared. 

I see Petaluma Library staff affirm that these beliefs are the right of every person, regardless of origin, age, background, or views, as they work with patrons. This freedom of expression embraces speech, press, religion, assembly, and association, and thus the right to receive information without interference from governments or extremist groups and without compromising personal privacy. 

There is no good censorship. Courageous people speak up. Courageous people do something. As the American Library Association notes, the ALA rejects censorship in any form: “Any action that denies the inalienable human rights of individuals only damages the will to resist oppression, strengthens the hand of the oppressor and undermines the cause of justice.”
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When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something. To do something. -  Congressman John Lewis

Don't join the book burners. Don't be afraid to go in your library and read every book. - Dwight D. Eisenhower

Paul Heavenridge
Sonoma County Library Commissioner - Petaluma

Student Profile

Lorenzo Rivera was part of the High School Equivalency Program (HEP) on the Santa Rosa JC campus. HEP is a Federally funded effort to assist farm workers in completing high school requirements so they can attend college and improve their career opportunities. As Lorenzo finished HEP, he enrolled in English as a Second Language classes. At that time, he also joined the Literacyworks Center program. Lorenzo attended workshops and participated fully, always offering support to other members of the group. He then became a tutor for other HEP students, giving freely of his time and skills. Lorenzo graduated from the SRJC and transferred to Sonoma State University where he majored in math.

Literacyworks staff were invited to attend a celebration honoring thirty HEP graduates. Caps and gowns and smiles were everywhere. It was clear that this group of hardworking individuals were proud of their accomplishments and optimistic about their future. Lorenzo was invited to be a keynote speaker at the event. In his usual upbeat and humorist way he encouraged all the graduates to pursue their dreams and don’t give up. After the festivities I had the opportunity to speak with Lorenzo. It turns out he not only graduated from Sonoma State, but he went on to get his teaching credential. He is now teaching high school math in Santa Rosa. It is important to note that Lorenzo was working full-time the entire time he was going to school so he could support his family. He did follow his dreams.

SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS!

Our low-income students are among the most vulnerable in our community when it comes to suffering during a disaster. Because of the COVID-19 epidemic, many of our students are suffering a loss of income and housing. 

Our staff is offering additional support services to ensure our students stay in school and complete their course of study. We are proud that most have persisted and remained.

Thank you for supporting our students with your donation during this difficult time. You are making a difference in their lives with your gift.

March 2020

IN THE WORKS

Families that Read Together Succeed Together

“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” ― Albert Einstein

Parents are a child’s first and most influential teachers.

Parent involvement is the number one predictor of early literacy success and future academic achievement. Research by the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that reading daily to young children, starting in infancy, stimulates early brain development and helps build key language, literacy and social skills.

From birth to five, a child learns at a speed unmatched the rest of his or her life.  Early learning experiences such as reading provide a love of learning and strongly affects success in school, work and in life.

Yet more than one in three American children start kindergarten without the skills they need to learn to read. About two-thirds of children can’t read proficiently by the end of the third grade. Low literacy skills are directly linked to greater inequality, higher unemployment, less earned income and poor health.

Daily reading and talking with children develops the necessary foundation for success in math, science, reading, a continued love of learning, and social and emotional connections.

A Huffington Post article (dated 09/30/2010) listed 5 Benefits of Reading to Children.

Building Bonds
Reading is one of the best ways to develop deep attachments with one’s children. Scholastic suggests parents schedule reading sessions daily and use the moments to enrich their relationships with their children and build their vocabularies.

Secret to Success
Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research (2013) research showed that children four to five years of age who are read to three to five times a week are six months ahead of their peers in terms of reading expertise. Children who are read to daily are a year ahead of those who are read to less frequently.

Rich Vocabulary Equals Advantage
Educator Jim Trelease observes that there is a clear difference between conversing with a child and reading to him or her: "The language in books is very rich, and in books there are complete sentences. In books, newspapers, and magazines, the language is more complicated, more sophisticated. A child who hears more sophisticated words has a giant advantage over a child who hasn't heard those words." 

Teaching by Example
Reading increases a child's attention span and a parent's own cognitive ability, Trelease says. It is one of the most essential and valuable activities kids can inherit from parents simply by observing them being engrossed in a book or magazine.

Boosting Self Esteem and Communications Skills
Early readers will be equipped with the vocabulary necessary to communicate to their peers, teachers, and parents. Children who have the ability to find the words they want to use are more likely to have a strong self-image, sense of confidence, and higher academic standing.

Bottom Line: Parents, read to your children. Children, read to your parents. We’ll all be better off for it.

PARENT READING WORKSHOPS

Literacyworks Parents as First Teachers: Engaging Families to Increase Children's Literacy program works with low-literacy, low-income bilingual parents & children through a combination of access to resources in the home & the community & by training parents in the basic skills to encourage their children to become avid readers. The goal is to help parents view their parenting role in a positive manner, have appropriate expectations of their children's achievements, prepare their children with the necessary skills to be successful in school, and establish and maintain positive relations with community resources, including libraries, schools, and community groups. At the end of each workshop, each family receives a bag of books and educational materials for their preschoolers.

Literacyworks Center

One of the core activities the Center provides its students is a series of workshops held several times throughout each semester. These workshops focus on a wide variety of topics ranging from study skills to health care to a better understanding of how to access college support programs.

An unexpected by-product of these gatherings has been the creation of an informal Literacyworks community, where students come to know and are known by one another. Although our students are working at very different academic levels, they share in common being new to college, being first-generation college students, and having some degree of difficulty fitting into the culture of the college.

At a recent workshop, we broke into small groups to discuss the challenges facing students both in and outside of school. The conversations became lively, offering advice, listening carefully to one another, and enjoying the comradery of sharing with one another. We then moved around the room, having each group report out about their insights into the obstacles they face. Family commitments, time management, money, work, and a lack of confidence in their academic ability were a few of the common issues identified. One of our new students sat quietly for much of the session. When asked what challenges she faced, she paused and said that just getting to college, finding the classroom and learning new technologies so she can read was a challenge. She explained to the group that she had become blind over the last ten years. The rest of the group had an opportunity to reflect on their challenges with a slightly different perspective. \

For more information, go to www. literacyworks.org or email info@literacyworks.org