All corners of the media are scrutinising David Cameron's "Big Society", from every conceivable angle. While the concept has caught the public's imagination, the greater challenge of fleshing out what the Big Society will actually offer and require of communities is unfinished business. The National Council for Voluntary Organisations…

Communities face powerful challenges that require powerful solutions: a high-school dropout epidemic, youth unemployment, teen pregnancy. In an era of limited resources, those solutions must help communities to achieve more with less. A new kind of community collaborative--an approach that aspires to significant community-wide progress by…

This paper presents a profile of Delaware's Stars for Early Success prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4) Indicators…

This paper presents a profile of District of Columbia's Going for the Gold Tiered Rate Reimbursement Systemp repared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for…

This paper presents a profile of Colorado's Qualistar prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4) Indicators for Family…

Weerts' model of Institutional Commitment to Community Outreach and Engagement (2005) was adapted in this qualitative action research case study to fill a gap in the literature regarding: (a) a private university president's role in promoting "A Private University with a Public Purpose"; and (b) differences between public and private university…

The 17 short pieces in this guide advise librarians how to enhance the profile of their organizations through increased interest in the media and more visible involvement in the community, and how to address budgeting, planning, and evaluating a public relations program. Fourteen rules of thumb for preparing and using news releases are described…

This annotated bibliography on public relations and libraries includes sources published primarily within the last decade, with the exception of a few key works published in earlier years. Arranged in topical sections, most of the sources originate from the library and information science literature; however, a few sources are included from the…

Twelve articles describe projects supported by Britain's Adult and Community Learning Fund, including employment skills and information technology for disadvantaged groups, heritage restoration skills, alcohol rehabilitation, basic skills through media-based learning, guidance for female ex-offenders, access to learning for socially excluded…

The ABCs of financing church and synagogue libraries are presented in this guide as Acquiring Funds, Budgeting, and Cash Accounting. Acquiring funds and the basic means needed to start a library are described, including resources such as books, shelves, office supplies, and financial resources; ideas and methods are presented for soliciting both…

A preliminary study reports on the possibilities for increasing the employment of people from New York City's poor neighborhoods to help children succeed in school through such nonclassroom activities as home visitation, parent education, facilitation, and coordination of parent-involvement activities, and assistance in the provision of health,…

In 1985, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) Childcare Services of Singapore started an experimental project designed to develop an alternative model of child care. The resulting project, the Community Childcare Center (CCC), differs from regular child care centers in that it: (1) is cheaper; (2) involves considerable community…

Community health fairs usually focus on adult health issues and seldom on child and family health or the link between health and education. This guide's purpose is to assist communities in developing child and family-focused health fairs. The guide is divided into two major sections: pre-planning and planning. The pre-planning section covers steps…

Information is provided on the funding of grant programs for the Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) Title IV (Library Services for Indian Tribes and Hawaiian Natives) for fiscal year (FY) 1986. These grants have enabled Indian tribes and Hawaiian natives to improve their public library services through a number of authorized activities,…

This article discusses university efforts to institutionalise community engagement. A seminal study conducted by the Kellogg Commission on the Future of State and Land-Grant Universities expressed concern over the unresponsiveness of institutions of higher education to community issues. Land-grant institutions were established to educate…