Partnerships

Library, legislative, and community-building language consistently emphasizes partnerships between with education agencies, businesses, and various social service agencies. Building partnerships, of course, involves having a clear purpose for partnering and building relationships. Partnerships often emerge quickly and somewhat haphazardly without plans to develop. The following links lead to pages with more information on policy, tips on building partnerships and coalitions, and tools to build and maintain partnerships.

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Policy

Legislative Action Center

ALA's Legislative Action Center includes updates on literacy-related policies and literacy resources across the lifespan.

Literacy as a Topic in Library Schools

An overview of which library schools offer classes about literacy issues or address these issues are part of other classes. Frances Houser undertook this task for the ALA Committee on Literacy in 2002-2003.

NIFL's Policy and Legislation information page

This section is designed to provide useful and timely information on major policy issues in the literacy field.

Public Policy as a Factor Influencing Adult Lifelong Learning, Adult Literacy and Public Libraries

This RUSA article discusses how current public policies that affect funding for many adult lifelong learning and adult literacy programs have been crafted in the context of economically driven ideologies.

Tips

Creating Partnerships

Partnerships Online offers tips and guides to participation and partnerships, including some early work on creating online communities. This page includes factors both successful and failed partnership.

Tools

CPAL

Supported by the Office of Vocational and Adult Education at the U.S. Department of Education, C-PAL is "a site dedicated to encouraging the creation of partnerships to improve the quality of adult education in the United States"

Developing Community Capacity

A manual that provides information with immediate application for building the capacity of organizations and individuals.

LiteracyUSA

LiteracyUSA was formed to support local literacy coalitions and to speak as one voice for these coalitions at the national level.

Sustaining Community-Based Initiatives

Three modules designed to support Kellogg grantees in their community-based initiatives. The modules were part of the “Sustaining Community-Based Initiatives” project, which was developed to build capacity within community-based organizations.

The Community Toolbox

The Tool Box provides over 6,000 pages of practical information to support your work in promoting community health and development.