Library - My Favorite Place

The library is a special place where students from all grade levels conduct research or borrow books for personal enjoyment.

From 1972 to 1976, Kevin borrowed one book each week for weekend reading—approximately 150 books in total. He probably borrowed more books than any other student in the school’s history. He also visited the municipal library in Rialto twice a month. After 20 years of service in the Air Force, Dad received a pension and worked as an electrician. Nevertheless, little money remained after covering the basic expenses for the seven members of the family. Consequently, Kevin relied on libraries to obtain books free of charge.

In his sophomore year in 1973, Kevin read 100 books mostly on biography, sports and history.

Whenever Kevin encountered an unfamiliar word in a library book, he paused to look up its definition. He recorded the new word and its meaning, then returned to the book and reread the sentence to understand how the word was used in context. It is unusual for a young reader to interrupt leisure reading to consult a dictionary. Kevin made a serious commitment to strengthening his English literacy skills because he wanted Gallaudet to admit him. This goal motivated him to work diligently in every subject. As a result, his English abilities advanced by leaps and bounds, increasing by 1.2 grade levels each year from 1972 to 1976. By graduation, his English skills ranged from the 11.0 to the 12.9 grade levels in different areas of English. For instance, he achieved a perfect score on the spelling section of the 12.9-grade-level test.

In 1973, Kevin accepted PE Teacher Seymour Bernstein’s challenge that he read a book with no stop for 21 hours in a row. Seymour had read nonstop for 21 hours in the early 1950s. In his first attempt in 1973, Kevin gave up with 13 hours. In 1974, he tried again and quitted with 18 hours. Again for the third attempt in 1975, Kevin finally surpassed Seymour’s record with 22 hours straight. He read the American history textbook and stopped halfway through.

Kevin spent six years growing up at CSDR, where he developed into a well-rounded young man prepared for college. During that time, he significantly improved his academic abilities, developed stronger self-esteem as a member of Deaf culture, and gained greater confidence in addressing challenges.

In 1976, Kevin gathered 300 books from the CSDR library and Rialto library for this picture. He had read all the books for fun during his high school years. The family dog (Princess) was Kevin’s reading buddy.

Shortly after graduating from Gallaudet, Kevin wrote a 15-page booklet about ASL and English grammar in 1988. Each year, he expanded the booklet by adding pages addressing various grammatical features of both languages. Thirty-five years later, the publication has reached its 20th edition and exceeds 300 pages. Thousands of copies have been sold throughout the country.

To date, Kevin has published four books, while a fifth is scheduled for publication in 2028. In total, he has devoted 28 years to developing the five books. Kevin is one of the few CSDR alumni to have authored books. He has likely written more books than any other CSDR alumnus, with additional literary works expected in the years ahead. The CSDR library has two of his books on its shelves: The CSDR Story and ASL-English Grammar. The third book, the second volume of The CSDR Story, will be added to the CSDR library’s collection in 2028.

The five following book titles written so far

ASL and English Grammar, 1988

School Support Services for Hispanic Deaf Children and Families in Southern California School Settings, 1995

The CSDR Story, 2003

ASL Mouth Morphemes, 2013

The CSDR Story, Volume 2, 2028

Future Publications

Deaf California Progress since 1821

CSDR, My Village (autobiography)

The CSDR Almanac

Kevin in his home library with 1,000 volumes started in 1974. He builds his specialty library on the Deaf community, probably the largest private collection on the subject in the country.

In essence, the CSDR library strengthened Kevin’s reading abilities and broadened his knowledge as a young reader during the 1970s. Beginning in the 1980s, he became a dedicated and accomplished writer, contributing to Deaf Studies literature through five books. He gave back to the CSDR library by publishing two books for its shelves, with another scheduled to be added in 2028.

CSDR was Kevin’s least restrictive environment and a breeding ground for his educational growth. After six years on campus, CSDR produced Kevin as one of its most successful alumni. Armed with two degrees and two state teacher credentials, he returned to CSDR as a faculty member in 1994 and taught in the middle school for seven years. Meanwhile, he wrote a school history book and began salvaging old artifacts for a future museum. In 2020, he retired as professor emeritus of ASL and Deaf Studies 

Kevin moved back to Riverside so that he could volunteer to help run the archives and museum at CSDR, as well as write new books in retirement. He doesn't want to travel or to play golf. He wants to live near CSDR and has his particular interests (reading, writing, history, teaching and museum) that make him happy before or after retirement.