The Atglen Public Library earned PA Forward(R) Gold Star Status in August 2021. This statewide initiative places the spotlight on Pennsylvania libraries and the important role our libraries have in the lives of citizens.
The PA Forward(R) program helps us raise awareness of our programs and offerings that help Pennsylvania citizens improve their command of five types of literacy – basic, information, civic and social, health, and financial. These literacies are essential to greater success in all vital roles of life: as students, as parents, as employees, as consumers, as citizens. As part of the program, logos on the libraries’ event flyers and marketing materials identify which specific literacies the events support.
Libraries use PA Forward’s five literacies as a guiding framework for setting service priorities, identifying potential community and funding partners, structuring strategic plans, and building well-rounded, multi-skilled boards. It places each program in the context of the role it plays in fostering the five literacies, helping participants to understand the importance of these skills and the various ways we can encourage their mastery. For example, Story Time functions as a Basic Literacy program for children as well as a Civic and Social literacy program for children and adults: it is a fun program with stories and crafts, but it also introduces preliteracy skills and fosters socializing children and the creation of a social network for caregivers, building community.
Look for the PA Forward literacy logos on our flyers and social media to learn more about how these literacies strengthen our community.
About PA Forward
The Pennsylvania Library Association’s PA Forward | Pennsylvania Libraries initiative was conceived to give voice to what the library community already knows, and what other states throughout the nation are also recognizing: With the right support, libraries are ideally positioned to become the community centers of information, technology, and learning that will fuel educational and economic opportunity for all of our citizens.
Libraries have moved far beyond just being book repositories. They’re agile institutions serving real-life needs. Libraries can be key to powering progress and elevating the quality of life in PA by fueling the types of knowledge essential to success.
