Designed to provide a comprehensive literacy reference for public libraries, this handbook presents a glossary of terms, background information on functional literacy, and brief reviews of 14 additional topics: (1) literacy statistics; (2) adult performance levels; (3) the problem of adult education; (4) illiteracy generates itself; (5) about…

This compendium of statistical data on adult literacy assessments spanning a 75-year period is designed to serve as a concise and comprehensive reference source for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers. The introduction provides a theoretical framework for interpreting the assessments described. Summarized in Part 1 are major military and…

To clarify and examine conventional wisdom and stereotypes about adult literacy, this paper focuses on the approaches of individually oriented and community-oriented programs. An examination of the literature base (encompassing research reports, informal accounts, manuals and handbooks, and theoretical, philosophical, and policy articles) leads to…