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 White Plains, NY - The Westchester Library System (WLS) encourages lifelong learning with the third annual “Engaging All Kinds of Readers” series beginning on September 27, 2008.
The series highlights different approaches to reading and texts for a broad audience of parents, young people, teachers, librarians, community leaders, and government officials. Each program features an innovative researcher that will focus on a specific type of reader, such as teenagers, genre readers, and those with learning challenges.
Past programs have included: Revisiting the Digital Divide: Teens, Technology & the Knowledge Gap with Dr. Donna Celano, Chestnut Hill College; Perspectives: The Learning Processes of People with Autism with Zosia Zaks, autism spectrum consultant; Where We Live: Becoming Literate about Our Own Lives (a discussion on using urban lit in library discussion groups) with Vanessa Morris, University of Pennsylvania; and Using Videogames as Learning Tools with Alice J. Robison, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
All programs are free and open to the public, no registration required. Programs are held at the White Plains Library, 100 Martine Avenue, White Plains, New York. For additional information, please call Robin Osborne, Director of the Office of Community Connections at WLS, at 914-231-3237.
Saturday, September 27 th – 2:00 p.m.
Reading the Election: What Do They REALLY Mean?
Carol Jenkins, former anchor of the WNBC-TV newscast
There are hundreds of print and online magazines, blogs, etc. that are compete to get the “new” to voters. This forum will focus on how and where voters look for political news and opinion in print - whether in hard copy or online - and the influences and slants on who is publishing what. What are the prisms through which we can critique this onslaught?
Carol Jenkins enjoyed a 30-year, award-winning tenure with several New York City news departments, including 23 years at WNBC-TV, where she co-anchored the pivotal 6:00 p.m. newscast. She was most identified with her reporting of national political stories, including from the floor of Democratic and Republican national conventions that yielded Presidents Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton. Ms. Jenkins is currently President of the Women's Media Center and a Founding Member of its Board of Directors.
Saturday, October 18 th – 2:00 p.m.
The Electric Company: Why We’re Back
Dr. Malore I. Brown, Project Director for The Electric Company
In January 2009, Sesame Workshop and PBS will broadcast a new version of the classic children’s series from the 1970s. Dr. Malore I. Brown, Project Director for The Electric Company, will talk about the re-launch of the classic series with a goal of providing content for children, ages 6-8, to strengthen literacy skills and engage them as readers via hip, multimedia activities.
Dr. Malore I. Brown served as an Independent Consultant to libraries in the areas of children’s literature and services. Prior to her work as a consultant, she was the Executive Director of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association.
Saturday, November 8 th – 2:00 p.m.
Reading as a Social Capital: How We Use Text to Engage in the World
Vanessa J. Morris, Assistant Professor at Drexel University
The ability to read and write is how we traditionally define literacy. How do we use those skills to explore content and meaning as we navigate our world? This discussion will explore the ways that the texts we read make us culturally literate and competent in ways that are expressed in daily life.
Professor Vanessa J. Morris teaches in the College of Information Science and Technology at Drexel University. She is currently enrolled in the graduate program in Reading, Writing and Literacy at U Penn. She was a teen librarian at the Philadelphia Free Library where she led book discussion groups to explore themes and images within the urban lit genre.
About the Westchester Library System
The Westchester Library System (WLS) includes 38 member public libraries located throughout the County and is one of New York State's 23 public library systems. WLS and its member libraries have a total collection of 5.6 million items, including 4 million books, as well as audio recordings, videocassettes, DVDs, print serials, and other materials. Support from WLS helps expand and enhance the services and resources of local member libraries, enabling them to better serve the public. WLS also ensures that all county residents have excellent library service on-site and on-line. A sponsor of year-round events, WLS helps coordinate featured author events, the annual Book and Author Luncheon, and seasonal reading initiatives. The WLS Adult and Outreach Services Department offers improved access to library services for all residents, training and development of library personnel, services to disadvantaged youth, and WEBS Career and Educational Counseling service. WLS will commemorate its 50th year beginning November 2008 with a series of kick-off events leading up to the 50 th anniversary celebration.
About the Westchester Literacy and Learning Alliance
Westchester Literacy and Learning Alliance is a network of agencies and individuals working to address the growing literacy and learning needs of adults in Westchester County. Our network includes literacy instruction providers, volunteer organizations, educators and librarians, local businesses, social service providers, and other concerned individuals.
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