Rural Jamaican public library stages first reading competition for boys

Author: Alicia Sutherland
Title: 'Boys who read will lead'
Source: Jamaica Observer
Date published: Monday, May 05, 2014  
URL: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/results/-Boys-who-read-will-lead-_16602614

Abstract:
This news article reports on a reading competition for Grade 4 boys put on by the Manchester Parish Library. The winners of the competition are announced and background information about the purpose of the competition is given. The sponsors of the event are mentioned. It is also reported that this year was the first, for the Boy's Reading Day event.

The article reports speech from the winning school's senior teacher, Eileen Chantiloupe, who makes
mention of the refurbishing of a school library and a resource centre with computers for Richmond Primary School.

Lorraine McLean, the Director of the Jamaica Library Service in Region 5 (Manchester and St Elizabeth), is also reported in sharing her views on the usefulness of information and communication technologies in teaching boys and her anticipation for the implementation of proposed plan of the ministry of science and technology for the distribution of electronic tablets in schools. The article also reports McLean's outlining other services and programmes of the Jamaica Library Service including being the largest provider of free Internet service to the public, the National Reading Competition, Children's Hour on Fridays and a homework programme at selected branch libraries in Region 5.


Development officer at the constituency office, Trishanna Archer, is reported as praising the Jamaica Library Service for 'a long history of making connections, showcasing love, care and appreciation for communities' as well as for the boy's reading competition initiative.


Excerpt:

The event has been taking place for the past six years in an effort to encourage Grade 4 boys to develop a positive attitude to reading and to improve their results in the Grade four Literacy Test.

Director of the Jamaica Library Service in Region 5 (Manchester and St Elizabeth) Lorraine McLean told Jamaica Observer Central that she was particularly proud of Richmond Primary because she has seen their growth from "strength to strength".

Eileen Chantiloupe, a senior teacher at the school, said that the children are of "mixed ability" and the strategy used in teaching is to "meet them where they are".

Currently, students are engaged in storytelling, poetry writing and dramatisation.

Institute of Jamaica's Executive Director outlines new plans for Jamaican museums

Author: Elaine Hartman Reckord
Title: IOJ Facilitating Greater Appreciation of Museums
Date published: April 22, 2014
Source: Jamaica Information Service
URL: http://jis.gov.jm/ioj-facilitating-greater-appreciation-museums/

Abstract:
Article reports on the measures taken by the Institute of Jamaica (IOJ) to enable greater access to the museums showcasing artefacts of Jamaica's heritage. One such measure is the opening of the museum during Saturdays. In the report,  the Executive Director of the IOJ, Anne Marie Bonner, is reported as listing some of the programs and events that will be implemented by the museum to attract more visitors including showing movies and storytelling and puppetry for children. Bonner is also reported as indicating that the museum is targeting not just students but young adults, families and senior citizens. Further information is provided about the Institute and the various museums that it operates across the island. The importance of the museums is also mentioned in the article, as well as plans outlined for refurbishing and repairing a number of museums. Challenges facing some of the museums are also mentioned.

Excerpt:

 “We are looking at setting up date-nights for the young adults. We will be having a series of movies that we will be showing in the afternoons and several activities for the children, including story-telling and puppetry,” she says, adding that other programmes are being developed for children and adults during the summer holidays.

She points out that “museum education” is very important, not only for students. “We are also extending our outreach to young adults, families and senior citizens because we feel it will benefit all Jamaicans and not just young people,” she says.

Jamaica Library Services' Literacy Intervention programme

Author: Lorraine McLean
Title: The JLS's Literacy Intervention programme
Source: Jamaica Observer
Date published: Wednesday, June 19, 2013
URL: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/The-JLS-s-Literacy-Intervention-programme_14523529


Abstract:
This article is a letter to the editor of the Jamaica Observer from the Regional Director of the Manchester Parish Library Network, Lorraine McLean, reporting on the Jamaica  Library Services' Literacy Intervention programme. Within the article, information is provided about the Jamaica Library Service, the history of the literacy intervention programme and some of the activities and events under the programme.

Excerpt:

The JLS, in support of the goals and objectives of the MOE, embarked on a pilot project to implement its Grade 4 Literacy Intervention Programme which began in Region 3 and was extended to the other five regions. Region 3 of the JLS comprises 170 school libraries in the parishes of Manchester and Clarendon.

The Literacy Intervention Programme began with two schools in Manchester where children were encouraged to participate in activities related to lessons taught from the Grade 4 curriculum. The activities were practical and so students were excited to share their thoughts in a manner which allowed them to express themselves confidently and fluently.

English was the language of choice, but they were allowed to speak in patois as well. Students were rewarded with small tokens and so they were motivated to work hard.

University youth implements the Read For Life Summer Programme in Barbados

Author: Natasha Beckles
Title: Nourishing a love for books
Source: Nation News
Date published: DECEMBER 02, 2012
URL: http://www.nationnews.com/articles/view/nourishing-a-love-for-books/

Abstract:
The article reports on a summer reading programme for children in libraries across Barbados, the Read For Life Summer Programme. In this programme, participants as young as three years old are involved in activities to use their imaginations and creativity while discovering the fun of reading books. A brief biographical background about the founder of the programme, Gillian Rowe, is provided. Rowe  is a 22 year old history student at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill Campus.

The article discusses the outcomes and impact of the programme from Rowe's perspective. Read For Life according to Rowe, has helped to increase the usage of libraries especially during the summer, and has impacted children's personal development over the three years. Parents have also came forward seeking assistance to improve their children's reading.



How the programme was implemented is also documented. In the first year, volunteers went into the community to learn about the reading habits of children from their parents. In the second year, the children themselves were surveyed in order to find out what their favourite books were, who read to them, if they enjoyed reading and if they liked drawing pictures or imagining stories after reading a book. Based on these findings, the volunteers used the third year to locate more books that the children can relate to culturally.


Rowe make suggestions from her research about the development of children book publishing for the region. According to Rowe, children want to read about the stories and issues in their own lives of which they have questions about. Rowe is also reported as stating that there is a shortage of Barbadian and Caribbean children books, despite the quantity of teachers, writers and literary students graduating from the University of the West Indies. Rowe suggests that a publishing platform be established to to purposefully increase the quantity of regional books. Other suggestions are given in order to rectify the problem including using the submissions to the National Independence Festival Of Creative Arts (NIFCA) to discover new ideas for publication.

Rowe also discusses the partnerships that Read For Life has established including referrals of children who need extra assistance to the LITE Remedial Reading Centre. Future expansion in programming are announced, including a plan to launch the pilot phase of its Homework Helper programme which will include three schools and three branch libraries. A bit of information is provided about the homework helper program, where after school assistance will be provided to select students at the libraries who need help with their homework. This programme will be staffed with volunteers at three libraries that will provide one-on-one assistance.Rowe also announces plans for two additional end of year readings on December 22 and 29 at the Bridgetown Library, lasting for two hours, which will enable parents to have their children occupied while completing their shopping.







Excerpt: 

“We encourage children to come and use the resources in library branches for themselves, to help them with their schoolwork, to help them with general knowledge and to help them as they try to find a profession and way of life for themselves,” she said of the programme which caters to those up to the age of 18. 

The non-profit organization is staffed by a number of volunteers, many of whom are former teachers and principals and students who want to become teachers. 

However, anyone who is passionate about encouraging children and helping them to develop is welcome to volunteer since they are trained before being placed in the libraries.

NALIS encourages public into Library again

Author: RESHMA BAAL
Title: NALIS encourages public into Library again
Source: Trinidad and Tobago Newsday
Date: Tuesday, September 28 2010
URL: http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,128229.html

Abstract:
The article reports on some of the public relations and promotional activities undertaken by the National Library and Information Systems Authority’s (NALIS’) that marked its celebration of National Library Week and to promote the library's programmes and service to the public.

Excerpt:

Encourage reading. This was the message at the National Library and Information Systems Authority’s (NALIS’) fourth annual Tale-a-Ton, which was held at the National Library in Port- of-Spain at the weekend.

The Tale-a-Ton launched NALIS’ week of celebration, known as National Library Week, which runs from September 26 to October 2.

This year’s theme of National Library Week is “Get into the library again.”

Public Relations and Marketing Manager of NALIS, Debbie Goodman, said the National Library week is being used to bring into focus, the libraries and how they work, “in terms of developing communities and people.”

The 'Labour of Love': The Jamaican anti-literacy cultural project

Author: Natalie D. A. Bennett, Contributor

Title: "Confront the anti-literacy culture - Part 1"

Source: Jamaica Gleaner

Date published: Sunday, October 3, 2010

URL: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20101003/focus/focus81.html


Abstract:
The author relates her activism and project in transforming Jamaican urban public spaces into centres for the promotion of literacy in Jamaican children.

Excerpt:
Whether we realise it or not, making illiteracy a thing of the past will require far more than big speeches and grand declarations about the importance of knowing how to read. It will take work. The question is: are we ready to do what is necessary?

In August of this year, I created a project called 'Labour of Love' in Kingston and Montego Bay. Part street performance and part activism, I wanted to see what would happen if love - not charity, shame, punishment, guilt, obligation - were the driving force for engaging in intentional, and hopefully, transformative social action in Jamaica's public spaces. In ten days, I did a variety of activities: made sidewalk art, crafted wills, distributed reading material, gave away vegetable seeds, and did bra fittings. And for half of that time, I worked with school-aged children on the sidewalks of downtown Kingston. Armed with rubber-stamps, crayons, pencils, markers, word and math games, and a plethora of worksheets, I tried to tailor each child's activities to his/her abilities and interests. Age was not a useful predictor of any ability, as I discovered. A 'class' of five children quickly grew to a 'school' of over 20 by the end of the week

US classic film series at a Jamaican public library

Title: US classic film series begins

Date Published: Wednesday, September 16, 2009

URL:http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20090916/ent/ent1.html


Abstract:

Article reveals the plan to show a series of American films in the Kingston and St. Andrew Public Library between September and October. The series will include films such as Lilies of the Field, The Wizard of Oz , Gone with the Wind and A Patch of Blue. Brief information about some of the films in the series are given.


Excerpt:

The United States Embassy in Jamaica and the Jamaica Library Service began its classic film series yesterday with a screening of To Kill a Mockingbird.

The films, which are free to the public, will be shown every Tuesday from September 15 to October 13, at the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Library starting at 6 p.m.