ABOUT The American Dream

In April 2008 ALA funded 34 public libraries in 18 states as part of the American Dream Starts @ your library funded by Dollar General. These 34 libraries successfully demonstrated community need, library capacity, project sustainability, and the determination to provide exemplary library literacy services for adult English language learners. American Dream libraries serve urban, rural, and suburban cities and towns ranging in size from 850 to over 1 million.

Right now, the American Dream libraries are expanding their literacy collections, adding literacy and language programs, developing new community partnerships, building mobile computer labs, and training teachers and tutors. In the coming year, their bibliographies, webliographies, training manuals, video commentaries, best practices, and lessoned learned will all be added to the American Dream Toolkit. (www.americandreamtoolkit.org )

As part of the Campaign for America’s Libraries the American Dream Starts @ your library has received a great deal of local media attention. Even before the funds were distributed, library staff participated in media training and received media toolkits.  As a result, even the smallest library has successfully promoted the American Dream project to their community.