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Center for the Book Workshop at LC Spotlights Best Practices“I would much rather build a library than a prison,” said William Woodruff, deputy administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in Washington, D.C. His speech about the value of reading was the inspirational peak of a “Reading Powers the Mind” workshop at the Library of Congress July 21–23.Sponsored by the Center for the Book and funded by the Viburnum Foundation, the pep rally for early childhood reading and family literacy was the brainchild of library advocate and consultant to the Center for the Book Virginia Mathews, who called the attendees “the pick of the litter.” She said she gathered the 70 invited guests—representing 12 states that received Viburnum grants to support family literacy projects—to share the great work they are doing at the grassroots level and to connect them with nonlibrary agencies that are involved in programs for youth. Woodruff invited librarians to participate in the launch of the OJJDP’s new gang-reduction pilot project to prevent delinquency by doing what they do best: opening the minds of youth to the possibilities that reading brings to their lives. Other agencies represented at the workshop included the Child Welfare League of America, the National Council of La Raza, Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Summer Learning, Head Start, and the National Black Child Development Institute. Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.Mex.) keynoted the event and emphasized the central role of libraries in eradicating illiteracy and in building communities. Posted July 23, 2004. |
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