Greetings from the State Literacy Resource Center (SLRC) of California and the State Collaborative Literacy Council. Our SLRC is now over four years old and is continuing to evolve. Here is an update on where we are and what we are doing.

Presently Dr. Carole Talan is Director of SLRC, although she is doing this part-time in addition to her work as Family Literacy Specialist for the CA State Library. Carole is now located back at the State Library. Her phone number there is (916) 653-8032 and her email is ctalan@library.ca.gov. Her address is CA State Library, P.O. Box 942837, Sacramento, CA 94237-0001.

Venice A. Jenkins is continuing as SLRC Secretary half time and is serving as staff secretary for SDI half time. Venice remains at the Sacramento County Office of Ed so that she can provide services to both programs where her phone number is (916) 228-2666. The SLRC ofice number is still (916) 228-2760. You may get voice mail but we check it regularly.

Since the California Department of Education agreed to fund the eight SLRC Regional Resource Centers (RRCs) this year while the Collaborative Council seeks ongoing authority and funding through the legislative process, the Staff Development Institute will provide oversight of the RRCs through this transitional time. The Council's goal is to have legislation passed in 1998 which will establish the SLRC and the Council in statute and provide ongoing funding to support its many activities.

It has been clear for many years that in a state as large as California, more than eight Regional Centers are needed. One objective of the pending legislation will be create two to four new RRCs in areas of the state which are not adequately served by the existing eight. All Centers would also receive an increase in their current funding so that they can provide additional services directly to local programs.

Another component of the legislation would provide funding for a revival of the highly successful mini-grant program of 1995/96. In this program the SLRC made available easily applied for and monitored funds for small, innovative projects in exisiting adult or family literacy programs. These funds were awarded on a competetive application process and grants ranged from $4,550 to $28,000.

The SLRC will continue its emphasis on learner centered instruction and the development of adult learners as leaders in their communities and as advocates for their and their children's education. The highly successful state-wide Adult Learner Leadership Conference of 1996 and the eight Regional Adult Learner Leadership Conferences of 1997 would be continued on an every other year basis and would also tie in to the newly established National Adult Learner Convocation. SLRC will continue to play a strong advocacy role for family literacy and its inclusion in all adult literacy and education programs.

Some other issues addressed in the pending SLRC legislation include:

• State-wide toll free hotline for literacy referral for learners and volunteers
• Support for local agencies and teachers to conduct basic and applied research and demonstrations on adult and family literacy relevant to California
• Provide and promote public awareness of the issues of illiteracy and the need for support and promotion of literacy services.
• Provide program assistance, training and technical assistance for literacy providers of all types throughout the state.
• Assist appropriate state agencies in setting specific objectives and strategies for meeting the goals of a fully literate California.
• Continue the collaborative effort of sharing resources and knowledge across agencies.

The legislation would also ensure that local staff and learners continue to serve as advisors to the SLRC and the State Collaborative Literacy Council as it determines the needs of local literacy programs and the provisions for addressing those needs. This group is known as the SLRC-USERS Group and is presently made up of 20 literacy staff from local programs and eight adult learners from throughout the state.

Currently the SLRC of CA is the recipient of the National Institute For Literacy's Hub IV grant now called the Western/Pacific Literacy Information and Communication Network System (Western/Pacific Literacy Network, for short). The Western/Pacific Literacy Network electronically connects through the Internet the 19 states and islands in the Western/Pacific region. The Network uses the SLRC server with the domain name of www.literacynet.org. The SLRC server also provides homepages for each state and island in the region, the America Reads California Challenge, and the Region XI School-to-Work Project. The Western/Pacific Literacy Network provides free e-mail addresses and listserves to any literacy organization which needs them. In coordination with Pacific Bell, ISDN lines have also been made available to adult literacy organizations in the state. Paul Heavenridge remains Director of the NIFL Western/Pacific Literacy Network. His phone number is (510) 547-8245 and email is pheaven@literacynet.org.