General sites on adult literacy and English language acquisition

Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy (CAAL)

A site with links to scholarly studies and working papers on adult literacy and English language education, reports on successful ESL projects in Community Colleges, and the National Commission on Adult Literacy.

Center for Adult English Language Acquisition (CAELA)

Helping states build their capacity to promote English language learning and academic achievement of adults learning English. Find links to professional development resources and references for additional training materials for adult ESL teachers.

Information for New Americans Site from the Fairfax County Public Library, Virginia

Resources for New Americans available at the library. Links include: Welcome to the Library; Living in the United States of America; English Language Classes; and Easy Reading for English Language Learners.

firstfind.info

A library of accurate, up-to-date, and easy-to-use websites. The section on immigration includes information on finding a lawyer, basic forms and fees, becoming a citizen, obtaining a green card, immigrants’ rights, services for refugees and asylum seekers, and everyday life in the U.S.

GobiernoUSA.gov: Portal official del Gobierno de los Estados Unidos

Provides information about the United States Government in Spanish, including immigration, employment, housing, education, health, and more.

NCELA National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition & Language Instruction Educational Programs

The National Clearinghouse collects, analyzes, synthesizes and disseminates information about language instruction educational programs for English language learners and related programs.


This toolkit offers:


A brief primer on the origins of library literacy services to immigrant populations throughout a century of service.


An introductory guide to delivering and supporting literacy services for immigrants @ your library.


Models and examples of literacy services for adult English language learners from libraries across the country.

The American Dream Starts @ your library is an initiative of the American Library Association.
This initiative is generously funded by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation