Informal lending libraries envisioned

The Center for Civic Engagement at UTB-TSC is accepting book donations at 54 locations on campus and across Brownsville to help establish informal lending libraries and increase literacy in the city.

The idea for the lending libraries comes from a service learning class that center director Kathy Bussert-Webb teaches in Cameron Park for students at The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College. The class is on how to teach reading to English language learners. Its service learning component includes gardening with participants in Proyecto Digna at San Felipe de Jesus Catholic Church, as well as tutoring children of parents with limited English skills who have trouble helping their children with their homework.

Bussert-Webb, an assistant professor of curriculum and instruction, said research — including her own at Cameron Park — shows that students are far more likely to read a book if they pick it out themselves.

"For years we thought we were doing a great thing by giving books to these kids" because many of them do not own any books, Bussert-Webb said. But it turns out that giving them access to a library is much better.

"If I pick it out, it’s something I want to read," she said, pointing out that many families in Cameron Park and other parts of Brownsville don’t have transportation to one of the city’s two public libraries and that book mobiles do an incomplete job of reaching everyone.

"Another reason is the kids are not reading during the summer," Bussert-Webb said. She said research shows that students who don’t read during the summer can lose as much as 1.5 grade levels cumulatively between first and sixth grades and that reading loss is more pronounced for low-income students.

The book drive continues through Dec. 18. The grade-level focus is birth to adult and books will be screened for "adult" content. Both Spanish and English books are needed.

After the first of the year, UTB-TSC students, professors and staff will organize the books thematically and help set up lending libraries and book corners at Su Clinica Familiar, Tip of Texas Family Outreach and the five learning centers of the Brownsville Housing Authority. The books will be for children and their parents to check out and return.

Citing the research on summer reading loss, as well as declines in fluency and decoding after the summer break, Bussert-Webb said she hopes the Brownsville Independent School District will begin keeping some of its school libraries open during the summer, at least for a few hours a week. All currently close during the summer.

Co-sponsors for the book drive are The Brownsville Herald, the Brownsville Adult Literacy Center and Healthy Communities of Brownsville.

Book Drive Locations

Drop-off locations for the Center for Civic Engagement book drive:

— Various locations on campus in the Education and Business Complex, the Science, Engineering and Technology Building, Mary Rose Cardenas Hall South, the Cortez Building, Tandy Hall, the Oliveira library, Tandy Hall, the old education building, the International Technology and Education Center, and the Center for Civic Engagement, 1301 E. Madison St.

— The Brownsville Herald, 1135 E. Van Buren St.

— Nuga Diesel, 14th & Magnatek streets near Porter High School

— Mr. B Motors, 2300 Southmost Blvd.

— Wells Fargo Bank locations

— Capitol One Bank locations

— IBC Bank locations

— Pace, Hanna and Rivera high schools

— Success by 6 (United Way) 634 E. Levee St.

— Kay Conly State Farm Insurance, 2401 Boca Chica Blvd.

— TRI-CO, 1995 Billy Mitchell Blvd.

— Antonio’s Restaurant, 840 Paredes Line Road

— Rio RV Park, 8801 Boca Chica Blvd.

— Episcopal Day School, 34 N. Coria St.

— Kenmont Montessori School, 2734 N. Coria St.

— Kumon, 1914 N. Coria St.

— Shoney’s 1344 N. Expressway

— SAS Shoes, 943 N. Expressway

— Youth Build, 815 Arthur St.

— Good Neighbor Settlement House, 1254 E. Tyler St.

— Brownsville Museum of Fine Art, 660 E. Ringgold St.

— Brownsville Pediatrics & Adolescent Care, 3180 International Blvd.

— Brownsville Literacy Center, 1235 E. Jefferson St.

— Cardenas Motors, 1500 N. Expressway

— Cardenas Development Corp., 1603 Price Road

— Cardenas Mechanics, 1717 Boca Chica Blvd.