International Literacy Day is observed annually on September 8. Following recommendations made on November 7, 1965, it was first celebrated by Unesco in 1966 to help raise awareness of the importance of reading and writing on a global scale. Recognizing this important day, and the multidimensional concept of literacy, which embraces different areas of competence and knowledge -- digital, financial, cultural -- we feature stories about the history and development of International Literacy Day. This year's theme focuses on Transforming Literacy Learning Spaces to "build resilience and ensure quality, equitable, and inclusive education for all."
The following articles are drawn from Proquest Historical Newspapers, which informs and inspires classroom teaching and learning.
- Dobbin, M. (1966, Sep 01). Johnson Has a Varied Day: International Literacy and Veterans' Days Designated. The Sun (1837-1994)
- Sept. 8 Proclaimed World Literacy Day. (1966, Sep 01). The Washington Post, Times Herald (1959-1973)
- Centre Plans Drive To End Adult Illiteracy. (1967, Sep 09). The Times of India (1861-Current)
- Education Staff. (1971, Sep 06). Rate Of Illiteracy Reduced. The Guardian (1959-2003)
- 800 M. Illiterates World Over. (1977, Sep 11). The Times of India (1861-Current)
- Murphy, C. (1977, Sep 08). Teaching the World To Read. The Irish Times (1921-Current File)
- Orvis, P. (1978, Apr 30). Illiteracy Is a Growing Global Problem. New York Times (1923-Current File)
- Words Do Help. (1983, Sep 06). The Guardian (1959-2003)
- Rehert, I. (1986, Sep 08). War On Illiteracy: An Issue For Years, Now It's a Hot Topic. The Sun (1837-1994)
- Government Urged To Fund Literacy Teachers Locally. (1986, Sep 08). The Irish Times (1921-Current File)
- The Unlettered 1.3 Billion. (1989, Sep 08). New York Times (1923-Current File)
- Focusing On Family Literacy. (2012, Sep 08). The Irish Times (1921-Current File)
- Hamilton, Mary, editor. Negotiating Spaces for Literacy Learning : Multimodality and Governmentality. Bloomsbury Academic, 2015. e-book
- Leander, Kevin M. Affect in Literacy Learning and Teaching: Pedagogies, Politics, and Coming to Know. Milton: Routledge, 2019. e-book
- Maslyk, Jacie. Remaking Literacy: Innovative Instructional Strategies for Maker Learning, Grades K-5 (Classroom Maker Projects for Elementary Literacy Education). Bloomington, Indiana: Solution Tree, 2019. e-book
- Ripp, Pernille. Reimagining Literacy through Global Collaboration. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press, 2017. e-book
- Serafini, Frank and Theo Van Leeuven. Beyond the Visual: An Introduction to Researching Multimodal Phenomena. Teachers College Press, 2022. Stacks ; LB1068 .S4678 2022
- Red Apple, Fruit on Several Books, Wallpaper Flare
- Special News Slide, Courtesy of Gottesman Libraries
Need to keep current, look to the past, teach a topic? The Everett Cafe features daily postings of news from around the world, and also promotes awareness of historical events from an educational context. Be sure to check additional Cafe News postings on the library blog.