Vancouver Sun: 2008 October 26
The countdown has begun towards 11 a.m. Monday when we're all poised to Drop Everything and Read (DEAR). I posted a couple of days ago about this event and noted the organizer's dismay with a lack of response from Premier Gordon Campbell and Education Minister Shirley Bond - both big literacy boosters.
Well, Victoria school librarian Karen Lindsay happily advised me today that both are now on board. Shortly after my post appeared, Campbell sent her an email commending the B.C. Teacher-Librarians' Association for organizing the event.
"The more we as a community can do to help people who slipped through the cracks, and to ensure all students get the time and attention they need to be prolific with language and computation skills, the better off we will all be as a society," the premier wrote.
"Moving literacy forward is key to a better future for all of us and I wish the Drop Everything and Read initiative every success."
She also got a call from Bond's office, advising that a news release endorsing the event will soon be released.
"The Bond press release comes too late to create more participants for this year, but it is fabulous news nonetheless," Lindsay told me. "It raises awareness and creates a fast lane for next year's campaign . . ."
No surprise, I'll be reading the Vancouver Sun tomorrow morning. There you will find more about DEAR and school libraries.
