Freedom Reads!
ALA Great Stories CLUB
American Library Association offers a grant aimed to facilitate partnerships between libraries and other organizations that serve troubled teens. The webpage is http://www.ala.org/ala/ppo/currentprograms/greatstories/club.htm
I came across the grant shortly after I started volunteering at Jail North. It seemed like the perfect program to continue the book club activities after my coursework ended in May. I could not apply for the grant but luckily Kelly, the teen librarian at ImaginOn, was interested. I am extremely grateful and thankful that Kelly took this on so enthusiastically. It really means a lot to me that the book club will be able to continue after I leave.
ImaginOn is the new kids and teens library that opened in October of 2005 with all kinds of cutting edge technology and programs. More information can be found at
www.imaginon.org.
Kelly and I worked together to write the essay portion of the grant, which I have included below.
Freedom Reads!, the book club for young men at Jail-North in Charlotte, NC will introduce participants to characters and ideas that can change their lives. Jail-North already has a strong foundation for this book club since it has a library with a well thumbed collection, a full time librarian, and a library science student working with eager readers at the facility as part of her coursework during the spring semester. Kelly, a Teen Librarian from ImaginOn, will join the program already in progress, with previous experience in library outreach at a juvenile detention center. This grant will allow the momentum of the book club to continue.
Some of the more popular books in the Jail-North collection are books by James Patterson and the Goosebumps and Fear Street series by R.L. Stine. Teens have shown interest in discussing what they have read and wanting to find Âthe right bookÂ. Borrowers often return to the library discussing the plots and asking for poetry, art or other nonfiction titles. One teen has even said, ÂIt doesn't really matter what it is, I just want to read."
We plan to promote Freedom Reads! in ways that support YALSAÂs ten core values of service to young adults. We will create an online blog or wiki of book reviews and discussions that will encourage participation and collaboration. An inviting flyer and logo will help draw teens into the program. Activities to connect teens, reading, and public library resources that will address their developmental needs will include watching movie clips, booklists for further reading, read-aloud sessions, games, and sharing library resource information such as how to obtain a library card. A reward system of giving away ALA promotional materials and gift certificates will be implemented.
Participants of Freedom Reads! are 16 and 17 years old and predominantly African American. Since education and reading levels vary, this book club will be a great opportunity to address equity of access. While at Jail-North, the young men are required to attend either classes at Charlotte and Mecklenburg schools or study for the GED, which a few have completed. Participation in the book club will give these youth credit toward classes.
The book club will meet every other Wednesday morning, 8:330 am30am. Since several young men at Jail-North have described interest in reading such books as Holes by Louis Sachar and Monster, by Walter Dean Myers, we believe, The First Part Last by Angela Johnson, Born Blue by Han Nolan, and Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman will be similarly enjoyed by members of Freedom Reads!
American Library Association offers a grant aimed to facilitate partnerships between libraries and other organizations that serve troubled teens. The webpage is http://www.ala.org/ala/ppo/currentprograms/greatstories/club.htm
I came across the grant shortly after I started volunteering at Jail North. It seemed like the perfect program to continue the book club activities after my coursework ended in May. I could not apply for the grant but luckily Kelly, the teen librarian at ImaginOn, was interested. I am extremely grateful and thankful that Kelly took this on so enthusiastically. It really means a lot to me that the book club will be able to continue after I leave.
ImaginOn is the new kids and teens library that opened in October of 2005 with all kinds of cutting edge technology and programs. More information can be found at
www.imaginon.org.
Kelly and I worked together to write the essay portion of the grant, which I have included below.
Freedom Reads!, the book club for young men at Jail-North in Charlotte, NC will introduce participants to characters and ideas that can change their lives. Jail-North already has a strong foundation for this book club since it has a library with a well thumbed collection, a full time librarian, and a library science student working with eager readers at the facility as part of her coursework during the spring semester. Kelly, a Teen Librarian from ImaginOn, will join the program already in progress, with previous experience in library outreach at a juvenile detention center. This grant will allow the momentum of the book club to continue.
Some of the more popular books in the Jail-North collection are books by James Patterson and the Goosebumps and Fear Street series by R.L. Stine. Teens have shown interest in discussing what they have read and wanting to find Âthe right bookÂ. Borrowers often return to the library discussing the plots and asking for poetry, art or other nonfiction titles. One teen has even said, ÂIt doesn't really matter what it is, I just want to read."
We plan to promote Freedom Reads! in ways that support YALSAÂs ten core values of service to young adults. We will create an online blog or wiki of book reviews and discussions that will encourage participation and collaboration. An inviting flyer and logo will help draw teens into the program. Activities to connect teens, reading, and public library resources that will address their developmental needs will include watching movie clips, booklists for further reading, read-aloud sessions, games, and sharing library resource information such as how to obtain a library card. A reward system of giving away ALA promotional materials and gift certificates will be implemented.
Participants of Freedom Reads! are 16 and 17 years old and predominantly African American. Since education and reading levels vary, this book club will be a great opportunity to address equity of access. While at Jail-North, the young men are required to attend either classes at Charlotte and Mecklenburg schools or study for the GED, which a few have completed. Participation in the book club will give these youth credit toward classes.
The book club will meet every other Wednesday morning, 8:330 am30am. Since several young men at Jail-North have described interest in reading such books as Holes by Louis Sachar and Monster, by Walter Dean Myers, we believe, The First Part Last by Angela Johnson, Born Blue by Han Nolan, and Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman will be similarly enjoyed by members of Freedom Reads!
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