Literacy Services
The Missouri State Library works with statewide literacy agencies and organizations to promote library literacy programs, plans conferences and workshops dealing with literacy issues including service to speakers of other languages, supervises implementation of literacy grant opportunities, and promotes the State Library's literacy efforts through programs, publications, and informal networking.
Marge Kudrna, the State Library's literacy consultant, can provide additional information on the opportunities listed below. Contact Marge at marge.kudrna@sos.mo.gov or 800-325-0131, ext. 17.
Missouri State Library literacy opportunities:
- Bookmarks to encourage reading activities
- Literacy handbook
- KET Materials
- Zero to Three Materials
- LIFT (Literacy Investment for Tomorrow)
- Missouri's LSTA grant opportunities
Bookmarks to encourage reading activities.
The State Library produces a series of bookmarks containing ideas for parents to use in the effort to get children to read. The four bookmarks target different age groups and needs.
- Helping children get ready to read
- Helping children learn to read
- Helping older children read
- Helping reluctant readers
Bookmarks are available to Missouri libraries at no charge.
Lifetime Connection to Literacy: A Collection of Literacy Resources for Public Libraries in Missouri .
The handbook was created through a series of meeting with librarians, who designed its structure and organization. Participants agreed the document should be a flexible set of resources rather than a treatise on literacy, so it has been designed as a toolkit rather than a textbook. Each section of the handbook addresses a specific age group.
Each section contains an introduction, activity notes, and reproducible information. While the activity notes offer ideas for literacy activities, the reproducible information can be copied and distributed in the library as needed. Missouri authors, librarians, and consultants wrote many of the activities.
- Literacy Manual Cover, Introduction, and Organizational Notes
- Section 1 – Introductory Notes About Literacy in Libraries
- Section 2 – Introducing Literacy: Serving Preschoolers and Their Families
- Section 3 – Supporting Reading Instruction: Serving Early Elementary School Students
- Section 4 – Supporting Independent Reading: Serving Upper Elementary School Students
- Section 5 – Creating Lifelong Readers: Serving Young Adults With Literacy in Mind
- Section 6 – Second Chances At Literacy: Serving Low-Literate Adults
- Section 7 – Appendices: More Resources and General Handouts
Contact Marge Kudrna, library literacy consultant, at 800-325-0131, ext. l7 for additional information.
KET Video/Workbook Series
GED Connection and Workplace Essential Skills videos and workbooks are now available to Missouri libraries through a program from the Missouri State Library, in cooperation with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Public libraries qualifying for state aid, academic libraries, and high school libraries in Missouri are all eligible to receive the materials. We have a limited number of these adult education video series and will distribute them to libraries that can justify their use as part of the collection without accompanying programming.
GED Connection offers 39 videotapes, 20 DVDs, 20 CDs, and three sets of workbooks geared for students with a tenth grade reading level who are studying for the GED exam.
Workplace Essential Skills contains 25 videotapes, 13 DVDs, 13 CDs, and three sets of four workbooks that teach students about workplace readiness skills, such as reading, math, communication, and problem solving in the workplace, plus résumé preparation and job seeking skills.
Zero to Three materials
The State Library recently distributed reproducible handouts to all Missouri public libraries from Zero to Three, a national nonprofit organization focused on the healthy development of infants, toddlers, and families. The series of handouts, available in both English and Spanish, address child development over the first 36 months of life. The handouts were designed to help parents better understand the science of early development and how to apply the information in meaningful ways to nurture young children's development.
Additional copies of the handouts are available at www.zerotothree.org/healthyminds.
LIFT (Literacy Investment for Tomorrow)
LIFT (Literacy Investment for Tomorrow) is Missouri's literacy resource center. LIFT provides a wide range of technical assistance to local programs and serves 500 people per month with up-to-date literacy information from national, regional, and state sources. LIFT administers literacy related listservs, provides resources and training for literacy practitioners and providers, and produces an electronic newsletter. A toll free phone number, 1-800-729-4443, provides access for both clients needing services and potential volunteers.