Community Library Programs That Work

Community Library Programs That Work
Author: Beth Christina Maddigan
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Total Pages: 230
Release: 2013-11-20
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1610692640

A collection of versatile best practices for promoting literacy development by utilizing local community connections in school and public libraries. Modern libraries are recreating themselves as idea centers for today's Internet-savvy, digitally driven clientele. This book provides a fresh approach to learning as well as guidelines for creating dynamic and relevant library programs for children, teens, and families. Organized thematically, each chapter includes relevant topical research and three to eight community-focused approaches. Programs range from small, single-library initiatives in rural communities to multi-site, cross-border initiatives. This essential reference includes collaborative and locally inspired programs, many of which can be scaled to the budget of any library, school, or community organization.

Can the Work Programme work for all user groups?

Can the Work Programme work for all user groups?
Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Work and Pensions Committee
Publisher: Stationery Office
Total Pages: 236
Release: 2013-05-21
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9780215057600

The Work Programme has the potential to work well for relatively mainstream jobseekers but is unlikely to reach the most disadvantaged long-term unemployed people. The Government spent some £248 million less on the Work Programme than anticipated in 2012/13, due to providers' under-performance in a "payment-by-results" programme. In the short term, the Committee urges the Government to use the unspent Work Programme budget to: extend proven, alternative provision for disadvantaged jobseekers, such as the Work Choice programme for disabled people; extend and continue to promote Access to Work to help disabled people overcome the practical difficulties of starting a job; and provide further support for individuals who complete their two-year attachment to the Work Programme without finding sustained employment. The Committee also highlights that people with the severest barriers to work, such as homelessness and serious drug and alcohol problems are often not ready for the Work Programme and need support first to prepare for it. It recommends that DWP pilots ways of providing this additional support to prepare these groups for effective engagement with the Work Programme before they are referred. In the longer-term, the Committee calls on DWP to consider moving away from the current differential pricing model, which is based on the type of benefit a participant is claiming, to a much more individualised, needs-based model. The Report recommends that DWP should assess how a needs-based pricing structure could determine the appropriate level of up-front funding and the types of services required to support individual jobseekers.