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Make Reading our Brand. The Five Word Commencement Speech. Jim Scheppke State Librarian August 15, 2010. Please don’t recount this vote. — Al Gore. Free, open ... keep one Web. — Tim Berners-Lee. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. — Stephen Colbert. Can anyone fix my computer? — The Beastie Boys.
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The Five Word Commencement Speech Jim Scheppke State Librarian August 15, 2010
Let’s make reading our brand. Old New
A brief history of library branding The people’s university The cornerstone of democracy
A brief history of library branding Informal education Good citizenship Information
A brief history of library branding The people’s university “In this way the Trustees would endeavor to make the Public Library of the City, as far as possible, the crowning glory of our system of City Schools…by opening to all the means of self culture through books, for which these schools have been specially qualifying them.” Report of the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston, 1852
A brief history of library branding The people’s university
A brief history of library branding The cornerstone of democracy “A popular government, without popular information or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives” James Madison
A brief history of library branding “Suddenly the stakes in America’s information future are rising as fast as the price of Arabian crude oil. Suddenly we are discussing information and library issues in cataclysmic terms, like “survival,” or “chasm” or “revolution.” Suddenly… we await the first White House Conference on Library and Information Service, hopeful for a national information agenda and an action plan.” John Berry, Library Journal, 1979
A brief history of library branding “The goal of ALA’s exciting five-year Campaign for America’s Libraries is to capture the public’s imagination by fostering a new understanding of the value of libraries and librarians to our democracy. ALA’s goal is to present a positive and consistent set of messages over a multi-year period.” Nancy Kranich, ALA President, 2001
The problem with Will Damascus Heed the Call for Libraries? Letter to the Gresham Outlook, October, 2010 “…Needless to say, the measure has it’s opponents. They are convinced that libraries are outmoded and are no more than relics in an age dominated by the Internet. They complain that the marginal service libraries provide does not justify the expense. They point out other less costly ways of accessing needed information at a much lower cost…”
Why make reading our brand. The percentage of students in Oregon who performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level was 33% in 2009 … not significantly different from that in 1998. Hispanic students had an average score that was 22 points lower than that of white students [14% at or above Proficient]. Low income students had a score that was 22 points lower than students who were not from low income families [19% at or above Proficient].
Why make reading our brand. 10th Graders in 2010 Who Did Not Pass the State Reading Exam
Let’s make reading our brand. “My conclusions are simple. When children read for pleasure, when they get “hooked on books,” they acquire, involuntarily and without conscious effort, nearly all of the so-called language skills many are so concerned about: They will become adequate readers, acquire a large vocabulary, develop the ability to understand and use complex grammatical constructions, develop a good writing style, and become good (but not necessarily perfect) spellers. Without it, I suspect children simply do not have a chance.” Stephen Krashen, The Power of Reading, 2004
Let’s make reading our brand. Baltimore Beginning School Study Longitudinal study of representative sample of Baltimore school children from 1st grade to age 22. Conclusion: Researchers conclude that 2/3 of the 9th grade reading achievement gap can be explained by unequal access to summer learning opportunities during elementary school years, with nearly 1/3 of the gap present when children begin school. Alexander, Entwhistle & Olsen, “Lasting Consequences of the Summer Learning Gap,” 2007