Organization: THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION OF LOS ANGELES
Mission: TO SUPPORT THE LOS ANGELES PUBLIC LIBRARY.
Activities: INVESTING IN LIFELONG LEARNINGTHE FOUNDATION IS COMMITTED TO BREAKING CYCLES OF LOW LITERACY BY WORKING WITH CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS/CAREGIVERS AT ALL 73 LIBRARY LOCATIONS AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS ASSIST ADULTS IN LEARNING SKILLS TO IMPROVE THEIR READING AND WRITING ABILITIES SO THE ADULTS CAN READ ALOUD WITH THEIR CHILDREN FROM BIRTH IN HOPES OF FOSTERING A LOVE OF LIFELONG READING. DURING COVID-19, THE LIBRARY BEGAN OFFERING ADULT LITERACY TUTORING AND CLASSES ONLINE. THE FOUNDATION FUNDED THE DISTRIBUTION OF LAPTOPS AND WI-FI TO LEARNERS TO REMOVE BARRIERS FROM PROGRAM PARTICIPATION IN 2020-2021. THE LIBRARY'S CAREER ONLINE HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM CONTINUED WITHOUT INTERRUPTION DURING THE PANDEMIC AND HAD AN INCREASE IN STUDENT ENROLLMENT. THE FOUNDATION ALSO PROVIDES SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, ART, AND MATH PROJECTS VIA FULL STEAM AHEAD PROGRAM. THE FULL STEAM AHEAD, THE LIBRARY'S SCIENCE LITERACY INITIATIVE, PROMPTLY MOVED SELECT WORKSHOPS, PRESENTATIONS, AND EVENTS ONLINE DURING COVID-19. THE FOUNDATION OFFERS A SERIES OF LITERACY-RELATED ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN THROUGH THE USE OF COMPUTER AIDES/CYBERNAUTS. THE CYBERNAUTS/COMPUTER AIDE INITIATIVE WAS TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE DURING COVID-19 THROUGH JANUARY 2021.
ENGAGING THE IMAGINATIONTHROUGHOUT THE YEAR, THE FOUNDATION BRINGS MANY ESTABLISHED AND EMERGING AUTHORS, POETS, JOURNALISTS, ACADEMICS, AND ARTISTS FOR PUBLIC EVENTS. THE FOUNDATION DELIVERED PRE-RECORDED ALOUD INTERVIEWS ONLINE DURING COVID-19 AND BETWEEN MARCH AND JUNE 2020. IN SUMMER 2020, ALOUD STARTED OFFERING LIVE-STREAMED EVENTS ONLINE. THE FOUNDATION SEEKS TO PROVIDE LIBRARY AWARENESS, INSPIRE AND CHALLENGE PEOPLE WITH FREE EXHIBITIONS AND UNIQUE PUBLIC PROGRAMMING THAT EXPLORES ART AND LITERATURE, THE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE OF LOS ANGELES, AND THE VAST COLLECTIONS OF THE LIBRARY. STARTING IN JULY 2020, THE POPULAR LA MADE PROGRAM OFFERED BY THE LIBRARY SHIFTED FROM IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING TO DELIVERING MULTI-CULTURAL HUMANITIES PROGRAMMING VIRTUALLY THROUGH THE LIBRARY'S STREAMING CHANNELS. THE FOUNDATION ALSO PROVIDES RESOURCES TO DIGITIZE PHYSICAL COLLECTIONS TO PRESERVE THE COLLECTION AND OFFER ACCESSIBILITY VIA THE INTERNET. ACTIVITIES LIKE THIS CAN BE DONE IN THE NEW OCTAVIA LAB, NAMED FOR PIONEERING SCIENCE FICTION AUTHOR OCTAVIA BUTLER, A MAKER-SPACE THAT GIVES LIBRARY PATRONS VARIOUS TECHNOLOGICAL TOOLS TO INSPIRE CREATIVITY. THE LIBRARY POSTPONED LIBRARY FOUNDATION-FUNDED DIGITIZATION PROJECTS DURING COVID-19; HOWEVER, THE FOUNDATION PLANS TO RESUME DIGITIZATION IN THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED 2021.
HELPING STUDENTS SUCCEEDFOR STUDENTS USING THE LIBRARY TO COMPLETE SCHOOL ASSIGNMENTS, PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVITIES, AND CONDUCT RESEARCH, THE FOUNDATION'S FUTURE READY TEENS PROGRAMS OFFER ON-DEMAND INDIVIDUAL TUTORING, ACCESS TO COMPUTERS AND FREE PRINTING OF HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS, COLLEGE-PREPARATION WORKSHOPS AND PRACTICE SAT/ACT/PSAT EXAMS. THROUGH THE TEENS LEADING CHANGE PROGRAM, THE FOUNDATION PROVIDES TEENS OPPORTUNITIES TO UNDERSTAND CIVICS AT THE LOCAL AND NATIONAL LEVEL, HELPING THEM GAIN THE CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS NECESSARY TO EVALUATE CURRENT SOCIAL ISSUES AND POLITICAL EVENTS. THE PARTNERSHIP WITH HOSPITALS, HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, DAYCARE CENTERS AND EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CENTERS HELP PARENTS START THEIR BABIES ON THE PATH TO LIFELONG SUCCESS THROUGH INITIATIVES LIKE READ BABY READ. AN EXPANSION OF THE WE READ TOGETHER PROGRAM, READ BABY READ OFFERS NEW AND EXPECTING PARENTS WITH EVERYTHING THEY NEED TO DEVELOP EARLY LITERACY SKILLS IN THEIR BABIES AND TODDLERS. THE LIBRARY BEGAN OFFERING MANY OF THESE PROGRAMS VIRTUALLY SHORTLY AFTER THE PANDEMIC-RELATED LIBRARY CLOSURES.
NTEE category: Education
Secondary category: Arts, Culture & Humanities