A teacher and student at Vision Literacy use Boggle to help

When I was a child, my favorite place to be was the library. I
will never forget how fast I ran home from the library to show off
the certificate proving I had read 50 books in the Star Trek Summer
Reading Club. I kept listing the books I read from then on until I
reached 1,000 books on my own.
When I was a child, my favorite place to be was the library. I will never forget how fast I ran home from the library to show off the certificate proving I had read 50 books in the Star Trek Summer Reading Club. I kept listing the books I read from then on until I reached 1,000 books on my own.

When I was a little older, I began volunteering at the library just to spend more time with the books which gave me a window into so many other worlds.

I was pleased to discover recently that Gilroy’s community librarian, Lani Yoshimura, and I have something in common: We are both UC Santa Cruz alumni. As part of the very first graduating class at UCSC, she attended art classes in the mezzanine of the library where I would one day be employed. I worked there as a cataloguing assistant, helping to create records for all the new books as they came into the library.  

Tamara Del Conte, a friend of mine who manages the Prunedale Branch Library 19 miles south of Gilroy, told me that their book budget has been slashed by 80 percent! She is putting books up on a wish list on Amazon so donors can help contribute.

“We have suffered some cuts from the state,” Yoshimura said. “But our county library is actually in very good shape compared to other libraries, thanks to the passage of the library measure a few years ago.”

Gilroy library is cleaning up their collection to install radio frequency identification tags. They are also preparing to move to a temporary location while a new library is being built.  

Several times a year, a volunteer group called the Friends of the Gilroy Library holds a big book sale in support of the library. It’s a great deal for both buyer and bibliophiles like me who need to clear out some books. I drop off books at the library and receive a receipt for a tax deduction.

“A move is imminent to a temporary location. We are currently looking for storage space for the Friends of the Gilroy Library to store used books,” Yoshimura said. “The temporary building will not have much space for that. If you have any ideas, let me know!”

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the ESL class at Arteaga’s Market being coordinated by Vision Literacy, a non-profit program that matches volunteer reading tutors with people wanting to improve their reading skills. Since “Making Connections” is all about the connections that bring our community together, a reader pointed out (and rightly so) that I should have mentioned the role that our Gilroy Library plays in connection with Vision Literacy.

The Santa Clara County Library’s adult literacy program, The Reading Program, was born in 1985, thanks to a large state grant. The focus at that time was adult literacy – that is, learning to read in English. Two offices were established at the Milpitas and Gilroy libraries. Since that time, the program has expanded to include family literacy and health.

“A few years ago, the program was renamed Vision Literacy,” Yoshimura said. “In Gilroy, the program was housed first in the Meeting Room of the Gilroy Library and then later was moved to a site at 42 Martin St. In 2012, the Gilroy Vision Literacy office will move into the new library.”   

Vision Literacy is currently seeking more volunteer tutors. They will be holding training sessions for new tutors soon. They are only offered once a year in South County.

“If you want to do something in the community to touch someone’s life for the better, please consider becoming a tutor,” said Louise Shields, associate manager for Vision Literacy in South County. “Vision Literacy is built on volunteer effort, and we need you to help us give the gift that lasts a lifetime – reading.”  

There are so many ways to help

Become a tutor

Upcoming one-hour orientations will be held at:

– 42 Martin St. at 10 a.m. Oct. 10 and 6 p.m. Oct. 15

– Morgan Hill Library, 660 W. Main Ave., Morgan Hill at 6 p.m. Oct. 13

Annual six-hour training for tutors will be held at 42 Martin St. at 9:30 a.m. Nov. 7 and 9:30 a.m. Nov. 14

Details and registration: 262-1349 or in**@************cy.org.

Buy in to giving

Arteaga’s Super Save Market will donate a portion of its sales to Vision Literacy

Where: 6906

Chestnut St.

When: Nov. 20

Lend to the library

If you have a location for storing books for the Friends of the Library, you can contact Lani Yoshimura at 842-8207, ext. 3400 or lyoshimu@

library.sccgov.org.

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