Using the slogan created for the National Institute For Literacy's
nation-wide campaign of "Literacy: It's A Whole New World,"
California kicked off its statewide literacy promotions on April
2nd
in Sacramento, California. Phil Yeh of Cartoonists Across
America, an internationally known group which promotes literacy
and environmental issues throughout the world, led a group of
enthusiastic adults and young people in painting a literacy mural on
a Yolo County Library bookmobile while it was parked on the lawn of
the State Capitol. (Click on the photograph to view a series of
pictures taken during this event.)
The event began early in the day when Phil sketched a design on both sides of the newly painted bookmobile. The design had a literacy theme but also was customized to Yolo County and featured local sites such as Toad Road in Davis and the Tule River areas.
All day long young people and adults working at the Capitol or visiting for the day contributed a little color to the design by filling in the mural. A group of high school students from a West Sacramento youth group formed the core of the participants. They were assisted by Yolo county library staff, State Library staff, staff of the State Literacy Resource Center, local VISTA/AMERICORPS literacy volunteers, staff and volunteers from Sacramento Reads and various others who were passing by.
Three television stations, two newspapers and three radio stations all provided excellent coverage of the event. Since the bookmobile was strategically placed on the north lawn of the Capitol, almost anyone entering or leaving the building that day was exposed to the event. Because the legislature was in session, this included many legislators and their staff.
Busloads of school children were visiting the State Capitol from various parts of the state. As they were drawn to the site by the mural activity, they were offered a copy of Phil Yeh's literacy comic book, Theo the Dinosaur, which had been purchased for distribution as part of the event. Lines of children and adults formed frequently throughout the day as people waited for Phil to autograph their gift copies personally.
Assemblywoman Helen Thompson, who represents Yolo County, stopped by to help paint in the afternoon. She was joined by a group of schoolchildren from Modesto who were touring the Capitol that afternoon.
The day ended around 7:00 pm when the bookmobile mural was completed. It will now traverse Yolo County bringing its colorful message about literacy while delivering books to isolated areas. This bookmobile will be an impressive mobile promotional campaign for literacy for many years to come.
The event was sponsored by the State Literacy Resource Center of California. Co-hosts for the event included the Sacramento Area Literacy Coalition, Sacramento Public Library's adult literacy program, the California State Library and Yolo County Library.
