I have attended all but one of the sessions of the Homeless Youth Seminar, and I must tell you that the seminar has had a most profound affect on me.  I have worked for the state of California in the Department of Health in the Medi-Cal area since 1978.  Approximately 20 years of that time have focused on foster care and adoptive and abandoned children.  I work closely with the Department of Social Services at the state and county level as well as the Department of Mental Health.  My knowledge is quite broad in these areas, but the seminar seemed to bring in the missing factor for me that I have been lacking…The seminar was a light bulb going on in me!  I cannot thank you and all of the dedicated people that have been involved in the development and presentation in all of the sessions.

I have been in the process of writing a book about the foster care system and the youths, and this seminar has given me the missing piece…I am, along with a very exceptional group of people just a passionate as myself about these youths, establishing a Foundation to address the state of affairs of these children.   I have access to people at the federal level of government as well as several watch dog associations in D.C.  The intent of the foundation will be to tackle some very difficult and unpopular issues these youths have to deal with and the seminar will be the catalyst of some of the projects the foundation will address. 

Janeen Newby, Associate Governmental Program Analyst, California Department of Health Care Services, Medi-Cal Eligibility Division

To Gary Kurutz, California State Library Curator of Special Collections:

Thank you once again for doing such an outstanding job speaking to the Santa Clarita Bus Tour 2008 delegation. You are one of the highlights of their trip. I truly appreciate your willingness to share your wealth of knowledge as Principal Librarian of California’s Special Collections.

Again, thank you for a most excellent and commendable presentation.

Cameron M. Smyth, Assemblymember, 38th District (Assembly California Legislature)

My family would like to take a moment to extend a special thank you to Gary F. Kurutz. Recently Gary welcomed us to the California State Library to view the archive memorabilia that was from my husband’s grandfather’s old restaurant “Bergez Franks Old Poodle Dog” in San Francisco. To make it all especially wonderful our family from France was visiting on their very first trip to America. We all had a great afternoon and we really learned a lot more about our family history.

Gary was really great and we really appreciate all that he did for us.

Joanna Bergez and Family, Sacramento

I found a good example of social bookmarking in action at the State [http://del.icio.us/csllaw]. I added it to this page, http://www.ca.gov/About/Government/State/LawsAndRegs.html.

… This is a great link.

Stacey Walker, eServices Office, State of California

Thank you for the copy of the report on services for low-literacy adults. The successes of this program are impressive, and important for the success of our state. I appreciate the work that you – and all librarians – carry out every day, to improve the lives of so many Californians.

Many thanks for your work.

Assemblymember Lori Saldana, 76th Assembly District

A reviewer on “Libraryola -The Sounds of Library Science” gave the following praise to the California State Library’s blog:

The California State Library Blog does have a feed, and is also updated frequently. Right now, I’ve giving CA.gov two points for blogs, but that second point is based entirely on the California State Library Blog. Libraries carry a lot of weight with me, obviously.

For the full post, please visit:
http://www.libraryola.com/state-e-gov-site-review/
state-government-portals/california-portal/