Literacy Volunteers of the Tarrytowns: A Brief History 1973 to Present
In 1973, disturbed by census figures that showed a large number of functional illiterates in the Tarrytowns, Selma Shill of the Warner Library began looking into the work of Literacy Volunteers of America (LVA). The following spring, people in the community interested in the adult literacy movement were invited to a meeting at Warner Library. About twenty people responded, and in June 1974 a provisional affiliate was organized and named Literacy Volunteers of the Tarrytowns (LVT). Selma Shill and June Schermerhorn, worked together to build a strong organization. They are recognized as co-founders. The Friends of the Warner Library and the Library Board of Trustees gave financial support.
LVT’s first basic reading workshop, held in October 1974, graduated twenty-two volunteer tutors. The organization’s focus soon shifted, however, from basic reading to English as a Second Language (ESL). Immigration from many lands had given the Tarrytowns a colorful ethnic diversity and resulted in a large number of adult residents who did not speak English as their native language. In the spring of 1975, LVT held its first ESL tutor workshop and awarded ten persons certificates as volunteer ESL tutors.
Over the next few years, LVT continued training tutors and teaching students. Its active volunteer membership reached out to an ever-widening circle of people in need of help. The library provided a small office and space for tutoring, workshops, and meetings. The Friends of the Library renewed their financial assistance for many years, and grants from a local foundation supported the purchase of books and teaching materials. Later, other foundations made annual grants.
In 1978, LVT became a permanent affiliate of Literacy Volunteers of America (LVA) and adopted a constitution. In 1979, construction plans for a new wing at the Warner Library included a tutoring center with four teaching cubicles and space for LVT’s collection of teaching materials. A generous gift from Paul and Martin Sanders made it possible to equip the tutoring center. A plaque honoring the donors was dedicated in 1986. An endowment established in 1986 in memory of former president and workshop coordinator Bill Gillim has enabled LVT to provide dictionaries for all its students for the past two decades.
LVT was incorporated in September 1990. In 2002, LVT satisfied stringent requirements to become an accredited affiliate of LVA. More changes soon followed. When LVA merged with Laubach Literacy to form ProLiteracy Worldwide, LVT became a member of ProLiteracy America, the national branch of the new organization. LVT amended its constitution in 2004 to reflect this new relationship. It applied for and received its own 501(c)(3) exemption, to replace the group exemption it had enjoyed under LVA.
In 2006, LVT pursued and was granted ProLiteracy reaccreditation for another four years. A committee prepared a documented presentation and met with a site visitor in June 2006. Also in that year, LVT computerized its records, created a small office at the Warner Library, and established its own website.
LVT received reaccreditation in 2011 and instituted a tradition of awarding 1, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 year service pins to tutors. A program of awarding certificates to students for attending 16 hours of lessons in a two-month reporting period was launched.
Until spring 2020, LVT was able to train a class of 12 to 15 new tutors in the fall and the spring. This steady flow of new tutors enabled LVT to replace its departing members and slowly grow its pool of tutors. As of April 30, 2019, LVT had 95 active Members, and its 77 Tutors were teaching 80 Learners. In the 12 months ending April 30, 2019, 113 Tutors taught 129 Learners for 2,593 hours. In addition, Members contributed 860 hours in administrative and training time. Unfortunately, in March of 2020 the Warner Library closed in response to the COVID pandemic. Our tutors and learners were not able to meet in person, and we were not able hold our tutor training workshops. For the 12 months ending April 2022, 36 tutors met with 42 learners and provided 747 hours of tutoring. These remaining tutors have managed to continue tutoring using online applications such as Zoom, Facetime, Whatsapp or Google Duo. They have also met outside in parks. Of the 747 hours, 550 were held on line. At the beginning of 2022 the library expanded it hours and lifted most of its COVID restrictions. LVT has trained its tutors exclusively online from June 2020 to March 2023. An in-person tutor training workshop was offered in the spring of 2023.
As of April 2023, LVT had 60 active Members, and its 48 Tutors were teaching 54 Learners. In the 12 months ending April 30, 2023, 113 Tutors taught 129 Learners for 968 hours.