Lowrider Literacies and Fluencies* 10 Point Program 2015

Lowrider Literacies and Fluencies* 10 Point Program 2015

1. Technology: We demand free access to technology and technology instruction, training and applications that meets our community needs.


2. Mechanics: We demand free access to mechanical technology and instruction. By this we mean we want motor vehicle, heavy equipment and other mechanical training and access that meet our community needs.


3. Reading: We demand free access to books that meet our needs. By needs, we mean: Cultural, Political, HIstorical, Language, Social, Psychological, and Health needs. We also demand books in a variety of formats.


4. Writing: We demand free access to writing and publishing technologies as well as the instruction to become fluent with them, and the ability to apply them to our needs.

5. Critical Political Analysis: We demand free access to critical political science analysis instruction, training and applications of this critical thinking to our needs.


6. Social Community Literacy: We demand free access to instruction, training and the application of social and community service and self-development based on our needs.


7. Human Development Health: We demand free access to instruction, training and the application of sound human development principled based on our needs and applied to our communities. 

8. Logic: We demand free access to instruction, training and the application of logical analysis and fluency for community members in both informal and formal logic.


9. Self-Defense: We demand free access to instruction, training and the application of self-defense principles, techniques, weapon training, tactical training and the history of self-defense based on our needs.

10. Ends: Educational sell-determination that leads to political self-determination is the goal of all the preceding literacy points.




*Any marginalized individual or group that seeks to mitigate oppressive forces on their community can apply Lowrider Literacy and Fluencies. One need not own a lowrider, nor be Latino.

ALA Task Force Seeks Your Input on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

The ALA Task Force on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion was created in the spring of 2014 by then ALA President, Barbara Stripling.  The Task Force is currently in the information-gathering phase.  To aid with information gathering, it has launched a series of short surveys to be conducted at times to coincide with the ALA Midwinter Meetings and Annual Conferences through 2016.  These surveys are designed to help understand the culture of the association, the profession, and our communities with respect to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

The first survey presents the Task Force created definitions of equity, diversity, and inclusion and asks individuals to consider ALA’s current alignment to those definitions.  The survey can be accessed athttps://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TFEDI1EMAIL and responses will be collected through February 16, 2015.  ALA members and nonmembers are encouraged to participate.  The final, analyzed results of the survey will be reported on by April 2015 via the Task Force's ALA Connect community and distributed through various ALA channels.

Please take a few minutes to answer the survey, which should take no more than 7 minutes to complete. “Embracing and celebrating diversity, and creating a more inclusive profession have been long-standing goals of the American Library Association.  With your help, we hope to ensure these values are upheld,” said Task Force co-chairs Trevor A. Dawes and Martin L. Garnar.

The ALA Task Force on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion’s charge is to develop a plan and strategic actions to build more equity, diversity, and inclusion among our members, the field of librarianship, and our communities.  The most important Task Force outcome is the public and honest conversation generated by its plan and recommended actions.  The final Task Force report will include recommendations for ensuring that a continuing focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion is embedded throughout the ALA organization.

Questions about the survey can be sent to the Task Force at diversity@ala.org.  Should technical issues arise, please contact the ALA Office for Diversity at diversity@ala.org or 800-545-2433 ext. 5048.