Police AssociAtion of novA scotiA 43 Adopt-a-Library Literacy Program How does the Adopt-A-Library Literacy Program Work? Policing services partner with public and school libraries and other agencies where children can be reached in order to promote literacy. The police act as the “bridge” between the community and the library by raising community support for library programs and activities designed to foster reading for pleasure and life long learning. In June of 2002, through the efforts of Sergeant Lee Henderson of the Truro Police Service, the Adopt-A-Library Literacy Program was launched in the Colchester East Hants region. How Can the Community Help? Police help explain the need for literacy support as a means of crime prevention and ask local businesses and organizations for their help. Cash donations are welcome. They help the library plan and deliver programs for the long term. Donated items are appreciated and may be used as prizes or incentives. fighting crime one book at a time Programs at the Library Library programs are planned for all ages and are based on research and best practices in literacy education: • Infant programs help parents bond with their babies and learn activities to use at home to develop their children’s language skills. • Preschool programs help children adapt to social environments and prepare for the formal learning of school. • Family programs encourage family reading which is role modeling at its best. • Teen programs provide social interaction in safe environment and encourage participants to become active in the community by volunteering. • Intergenerational programs provide adults the opportunity to pass along culture and a sense of heritage to children and youth. Literacy in Canada About 58 out of 100 Canadian adults, aged 16 to 65, have basic reading skills they need for most everyday reading; the other 42 have lower literacy than needed to cope with the increasing information demands of our society; that means that about 2 in every five Canadian adults - 9 million people- can’t read well enough to do everyday tasks. If we add in the people who are older than 65, that number goes up to 12 million Canadians. Some statistics on low literacy in Canadian jails and prisons: • Offenders are three times as likely as the rest of the population to have literacy problems. • 79 of 100 people entering Canadian correctional facilities don’t have their high school diploma. • 65 of 100 people entering correctional facilities have less than a Grade 8 education or level of literacy skills. Criminal offenders have lower than average levels than the general population. Neighbourhoods with lower literacy levels have higher crime rates. For more information www.lovemylibrary.ca Truro Police Service Sergeant Lee Henderson Tel. 902-897-3275 Fax 902-893-1629 Email: lhenderson@truro.ca Royal Canadian Mounted Police Constable Pascale Bergeron Bible Hill Detachment Tel. 902-893-6820 Library M. Lynda Marsh Administrator, Youth Services Tel. 902-895-1625 Fax 902-895-7149 Email: lmarsh@nstc.library.ns.ca Sergeant Lee Henderson, Truro Police Service RCMP Constable Pascale Bergeron with Stewiacke Branch Assistant Sue Sinclair Information fromTarget Crime with Literacy (www.policeabc.ca) Supporting these efforts strengthens our communities.
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