91´«Ã½

CHICAGO - Literacy and a love of reading begin at birth and last a lifetime — with unique milestones through every stage of life.

The 91´«Ã½ Committee on Literacy will host a panel of experts from across the Association to discuss the integral role of libraries in life-long literacy development at “A Lifetime of Literacy in Libraries: Marking the Milestones from Infancy to Maturity,” from 10:30 a.m. - noon on Monday, June 27 in room 346/7 of the Morial New Orleans Convention Center during 91´«Ã½’s Annual Conference.

Presentations will showcase local projects, offer suggestions for implementation, provide access to a wealth of resources and highlight several literacy initiatives, including The American Dream Starts @ your library, Born to Read, El día de los niños/El día de los libros, Kids @ your library, Learning for Life, Prime Time Family Reading Time and 91´«Ã½ Family Literacy Focus.

Featured panelists will include Sarah Howard, children and youth services manager at the Daniel Boone Regional Library in Columbia, Mo.; Susan Ballard, AASL president-elect and director, Library Media and Technology Services for the Londonderry School District in Londonderry, N.H.; Dr. Lesley Farmer, professor of library media ,California State University Long Beach; 91´«Ã½ Past President Dr. Loriene Roy, chair of the Committee on Rural, Native, and Tribal Libraries of All Kinds and professor at the University of Texas School of Information; Miranda Restovic, director, Prime Time Family Reading Time, Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities; Dr. Mary Jo Venetis, associate library director, Technical Services, the University of Texas at Dallas Libraries; and Vivian Wynn, Wynn Library Consulting. The program will be moderated by Juliet I. Machie, deputy director of the Detroit Public Library and chair of the 91´«Ã½ Committee on Literacy.

Dr. Camila Alire, 91´«Ã½ immediate past president and dean emerita, University of New Mexico and Colorado State University, will provide opening remarks. Dr. Alire is a dedicated library champion and during her presidential year envisioned and supported 91´«Ã½’s Family Literacy Focus. Dr. Alire is the recipient of the 2011 Joseph W. Lippincott Award.

Attendance is open to all Annual Conference attendees. For more information, please visit .

The 91´«Ã½ Committee on literacy develops and recommends the Association’s policies related to the promotion of literacy, and develops and encourages the development of programs, educational opportunities, and other resources that assist librarians and libraries in promoting literacy. It also raises the awareness of literacy within the Association and works cooperatively with the Literacy Assembly, the Office for Literacy and Outreach Services and its Advisory Committee and other 91´«Ã½ units on efforts that have a literacy focus. It also develops and maintains partnerships with national literacy organizations.