Ideas that Police and Libraries can use:

The first step is to become familiar with literacy and crime prevention. These 2 sites, and accompanying documents, provide valuable background information.

Website: The Movement for Canadian Literacy
                Document: Why Canada Should Make Adult Literacy and Essential Skills a Policy and Funding Priority   

Website: National Crime Prevention Strategy
                Document: Money Well Spent: Investing in Preventing Crime

For Police2

Introduce yourself to your local library. Libraries are large organizations. Usually your local library is part of a larger regional library network. When you approach your local library staff ask who is responsible for community programming or children's services. Approaching the right person in the organization is an important first step in developing a good partnership. When you have reached the right person refer them to the Adopt-A-Library website for more information.

For Libraries

Community policing takes many forms. It is important to identify a police officer within your detachment who has the responsibility for, or interest in, community policing. Building the right relationship from the start is important to a solid partnership. Recognize that police have fighting crime as their main focus, not helping libraries. As you develop your relationship you must be open to their ideas and thoughts on ways to engage children and teens.

Important for Both

There is no right or wrong way to develop your own Adopt-A-Library literacy program. This will depend on your own community's needs. The ideas below are ones that have worked for other areas in Canada.

Incentive based reading

Police have asked local businesses to contribute prizes to the Program. The library uses these prizes as incentives for children to join the library and borrow books on a regular basis.
For example, police ask a local store to donate a hockey net. The library prominently displays the hockey net in the library, recognizing the sponsor, and offers ballots every time the child borrows books from the library. The library promotes the event through its regular public relations. Police officers promote the event during their regular visits to school children, also pointing out the importance of reading.

Books

Libraries are like many other government funded agencies and rarely have enough funding to keep their book selections up-to-date and interesting for children. Police can help build good collections that bring kids into the library on a regular basis and off the streets.
For example: police approach a local service club and ask if they would like to donate a shelf of books, or $1000, to their local library once a year. The library hosts a one day event in the library for the service club. There is exciting children's programming offered on that day and members of the club read to children. It is also a good time to have a media photo opportunity to recognize the service agency.

Programming equipment and supplies

Most libraries offer children's programming. However, money for proper equipment and supplies to help children be creative are rarely available.
For example: police approach a local store to have a one time fund raiser asking for public donations that go towards children's programming in the library. Police and library staff are available on that day to answer questions about the program and to promote the value of literacy amongst children. There may even be prizes, donated by other businesses, that can be drawn for during the event. Again, media publicity is important to both the program and the sponsor. The money raised goes toward programming equipment and supplies. It may even be that the police can encourage the supplier to offer a discount to the library.

Copyright 2004 Adopt-A-Library Literacy Program
Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library