|
|
 |
|
|
 |
| |
| |
 The Book Spot
The Book Spot was a collaborative, three-year pilot project between Small Press Distribution,
in Berkeley, California, and the San Francisco WritersCorps. The goal
of the project was to create sustainable libraries, which build lasting
relationships between young readers and writers.
In 1998, the Book Spot's inaugural year, four social service
agencies in the San Francisco Bay Area were selected as the pilot Book
Spot sites. At each library, WritersCorps teachers facilitated the book
selection and incorporated the libraries into their curriculum. SPD and
WritersCorps provided the budget for books, a wide range of
contemporary, small press and less "mainstream" literary works.
Students were exposed to a diverse and invaluable selection of
literature, including works from their own communities. Students played
an integral part in the development and upkeep of the libraries, to
give them a sense of ownership and responsibility. The four sites that participated in the project: - Log Cabin Ranch, a boys' juvenile detention facility;
- Girls
After School Academy (GASA), an after-school program fostering gender
and ethnic pride in an academic and creative environment;
- The
Center for Young Women's Development, an agency in the South of Market
(SOMA) neighborhood of San Francisco, which helps young women get off
the street and provides them with leadership training programs;
- Mercy Services, an after-school program for kids in the Mercy Services housing project, located in the SOMA neighborhood.
The Book Spot project coordinator provided training to the site
staff and youth on lending systems, cataloging, and maintenance of the
libraries. Popular authors often met with the youth to share their
writing, to discuss books they liked, and to give writing workshops.
Authors who have visited the Book Spot sites include Devorah Major,
Jewelle Gomez, Jimmy Santiago Baca, Marci Blackman, Michelle Tea, and
Francisco Alarcon.
| Download Dr. Megan Boler's evaluation report on the Book Spot's pilot phase, 1998-2001, in PDF format (24k). |
|
You'll need Acrobat Reader, available free from Adobe.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
