Library Director's Blog

Reading on the Rise – Translating Books into Community Action

A wise and well-read man once said, “Civilization exists because people can read, and people can read because civilization exists.” Books and reading are the essential building blocks we have used throughout history to record, share, and build upon the collective ideas and knowledge of our civilization. Reading is a universal activity that brings people together — across the ages, across cultures and languages, and around the world. The written word has extraordinary power to stimulate, educate, and open minds, and to lift us all up to higher ground.

But for all the good things about reading, literacy faces many challenges in the modern world. Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America, a comprehensive national report by the National Endowment for the Arts, found that not only was literary reading in America declining rapidly among all demographic groups, but that the rate of decline was accelerating, especially among the young. The report showed that fewer than half of all American adults spend any time reading literature at all. (Fortunately this doesn’t seem to be the trend in education-focused Hayward, where people are using their library at record-high levels. In the past year, 1.3 million books and media were checked out from Hayward Public Library, shattering all previous records — and that number continues to climb!)

Now, the cynical observer might ask, does it matter if people read or not? Does reading translate into concrete action in the real world? The answer to both questions is, yes, in fact, it does. The Reading at Risk report showed that people who read books often, are far more engaged and active in their communities than people who don’t. For example, the report found that readers are nearly three times more likely to attend a performing arts event; one-and-a-half times more likely to attend a sporting event; and over two-and-a-half times more likely to do volunteer or charity work in the community. In addition to the more obvious reasons why we know reading is a good thing — education, lifelong learning, exploring new ideas, and so forth — we also know that a community that values reading is likely to be a stronger, more active and engaged community overall.

So, after you have finished reading this – take action! Check out your Hayward Public Library’s website to learn more about our innovative Book-to-Action series, and how you can translate books into community action, right here in your town.

“Shake, Rattle, and Read: Supporting Hayward Literacy”

Did you know that nearly one in four adults in California lack basic literacy skills? In Hayward alone, this means that up to 25,000 adults in our city read and write below the 8th grade level, far below that level for some. When this many people can’t read effectively, or fill out a job application, or help their children with their schoolwork, our community and local economy suffers immensely. From lost and unrealized earning potential, to the long-term strain on our safety net services, illiteracy impacts us all.

You can help turn this trend around and help us change illiterate people’s lives for the better, one learner at a time, through Hayward Public Library’s volunteer-driven Literacy Plus program. “Shake, Rattle, and Read: Supporting Hayward Literacy,” an evening of fine wine, dining and silent auction in support of the Literacy Plus program, takes place Saturday, March 31st, 6:00 p.m. at Stonebrae Country Club. Please join us for this special fundraising event, formerly known as “Be Our Valentine,” to help support our tutor training program and family literacy classes for low-literate parents and their children.

Tickets are $30 in advance or $35 at the door, and are available at the Library. I hope to see you there. Together we can transform lives for the better through the power of literacy. For more information, to donate, or to become an event sponsor, call Cindy Breeden-Johnson at 510-881-7911.

Keeping Library Traditions Strong while Changing for the Better

Libraries across the nation are changing — changing for the better. Public libraries have always been the people’s resource, a civic resource and a cornerstone institution in the community, leveling the playing field and providing equal opportunity in education and information to every citizen. And though libraries continue to change and adapt their services as people’s needs and circumstances change over time, that tradition remains strong. One of the things that Hayward Public Library is working on right now that we’re excited about, is strengthening our support for nonprofit organizations that serve Hayward residents. A couple of years ago, the City’s Library department combined with the Community Services Division, which among other activities, provides grantmaking and technical assistance to nonprofits that address social service needs in Hayward. And some really cool things have come out of that combination, for example, we were able to secure a grant to establish a Nonprofit Resource Center in the public library beginning this January. The Nonprofit Resource Center will strengthen our services and support to local nonprofits, with the goal to help local nonprofits attract and bring more funding resources into Hayward to serve our community. It’s hard to picture the shushing public library of bygone years undertaking a project like this, but today it’s right in line with our mission and the current needs of our community, and we’re excited to be able to make it happen for Hayward. Another really interesting aspect of this project is a new Nonprofit Executive Seminar customized specifically for Hayward: a six-month series of advanced workshops for local nonprofit executives and senior staff to learn advanced fundraising and resource development techniques. The grant we received will cover the cost in full for up to twenty-four Hayward area nonprofit executives to participate in this outstanding program, and applications are being invited now. This is just one way in which fulfilling the library’s mission in a changing society is resulting in new and innovative services. No matter what transformations occur in libraries, that tradition of education, equal opportunity and the democratic ideal will always stay strong, and on a personal note, I’m humbled and honored to have a part to play in continuing that tradition right here in my hometown.

How Libraries and Nonprofits can work together

An article about Hayward Public Library’s upcoming Nonprofit Resource Center project recently appeared on the TechSoup website. The interviewer, Ariel Gilbert-Knight, was incredibly gracious, and wrote a very thoughtful article about the project and how it fits into the evolving roles of libraries and nonprofits in our society.

It begins by asking, “How does a librarian end up running a city’s community grant programs for nonprofits, housing rehabilitation, and paratransit program, in addition to its public libraries?” Indeed, that is a great question, one which I have asked myself a few times!

Of course, the real answer is that libraries, nonprofits, and other community organizations have a shared mission to serve others and level the playing field in their communities. And in Hayward, the combination of Library and Community Services into a single department provides a huge opportunity to learn new ways of thinking about the library’s role in the community. Here’s one quote from the article that sums up this new perspective:

In libraries, you spend 90% of your time with people who come into the library. Or with other librarians, or at library events. Everyone just automatically assumes the library is essential. It’s a slam-dunk talking to those folks. Outside of that world, it’s not just assumed, and the value of libraries is different.

Read the full article here: http://www.techsoupforlibraries.org/spotlight/library-nonprofit-partnership-finds-opportunity-in-scarcity

Education is the Key

At the Library, our goal is to deliver equal opportunity in education to every Hayward resident. This is because we believe that education is the key to a stronger, brighter future for any community. Whether it’s through our early childhood education classes for young children and parents, afterschool homework help for students, literacy tutoring for adults who lack basic reading and writing proficiency, or English as Second Language training for non-native speakers of English, we place an emphasis on meeting the lifelong learning needs of every member of our diverse community. In this regard, the Library is truly the community’s learning center.

Books will always be the heart and soul of the library, but our educational mission extends far beyond books—and even beyond the four walls of our buildings. Through new partnerships and innovative programs, we continuously strive to meet our community’s changing educational needs.

For example, the City of Hayward opened a new afterschool homework center in September at Longwood Elementary School, in partnership with Hayward Unified School District. The new center provides customized one-to-one homework tutoring to students with the help of trained volunteers. Over 200 students received homework assistance in its first week of operation.

Longwood Center is also the home of Hayward’s first Public Library Book Vending Machine. It looks like a snack vending machine, but, instead of chips and candy, it’s stocked with Hayward Public Library books! The new homework center and book vending machine provide access to public library books and services where previously there was none.

Through partnership, innovation, technology, and the support of community volunteers like you, we can continue to build new educational opportunities and a brighter future for every Hayward resident—of every age. To learn more about how people can help make a positive difference in the community, visit the City’s website and its volunteering opportunities.