The 17 papers in this booklet were presented at meetings of 7 sections within the Division of Serving the General Public: (1) "Overcoming Illiteracy and Public Library Social Functions Development" (Slava Matlina, USSR); (2) "Impact of Economic and Political Change upon Public Library Services" (E. S. Ponomaryova, USSR); (3)…

These two volumes contain writings designed for the new reader who is in prison. Written by both inmates and external volunteers, the material in these volumes includes poems, stories, and short essays that deal with subjects of interest to prison inmates. To help the new reader, easier-to-read pieces are presented first. Titles in volume I are as…

This document addresses literacy partnerships and presents a guide for community organization and program development. Section 1, "Developing a Community Literacy Organization," provides a framework for planning. It covers getting started, becoming a society, building a strong board, conducting effective meetings, accessing the media,…

This report presents papers and summaries of workshops from a forum on adult literacy training hosted by the Coordinating Agency for Training Adult Literacy Personnel in Australia (CATALPA). An explanation of the nature and aims of the CATALPA project, a brief foreword, and a copy of the forum program are provided, followed by papers presented by…

The Florida Model Literacy Program Act of 1987, known as the Florida Adult Literacy Act, committed the state to an organized, systematic, and coordinated attack on adult illiteracy at the state and local levels. The Florida Adult Literacy Plan was developed to implement the provisions of the act and provide a basis for state and local planning…

Although the goal of universal literacy in the United States refers specifically to the literacy of adults, significant progress toward the goal is dependent to a great extent upon educational experiences prior to adulthood. Encouraging business involvement in strengthening the connection between school and work acknowledges the interrelationship…

The Saskatchewan Federation of Labor (SFL) conducted a Workers' Education for Skills Training, or WEST Program, to upgrade its membership's basic literacy skills. The purpose of the WEST Program was to develop, ensure access to, and build support for a workplace literacy program designed to meet the diverse needs of affiliates' members. Six…

"Lead Kindly Light" was an extensive campaign for the total eradication of illiteracy within 1 year in the Ernakulam District of India. A major sponsor was Kerala Sastra Sahithya Parishad (KSSP), the Science and Education Center of Kerala; responsibility for the project was later handed over to the National Literacy Mission (NLM). The…

An approach based on sociolinguistic theory is reported that was devised to describe the way written language operates in the different domains that make up the everyday lives of a given group of people. The approach involves the practices that the people use to deal with written language, and the perceptions (uses, beliefs, attitudes) they have…

A study was conducted to analyze the impact of employee illiteracy on Canadian businesses. The opinions of 626 vice presidents of human resources or general managers were collected in a random sample of 2,000 Canadian establishments with more than 50 employees and 300 head offices of larger firms (25 percent return). The information was…

This booklet provides an overview of some projects and initiatives funded by the National Literacy Program in Canada in 1989-90. Many have been supported as well by the provinces and territories, community organizations, business, or labor organizations. The booklet also contains a sample of the activities of other federal departments and agencies…

The main objective of the seventh regional workshop was to provide training experience to participants from Unesco member states in the development of instructional neo-literate materials and the expansion of participation in literacy activities to the needs of the rural people, particularly women. The final report begins with an account of the…

This research study provides an extensive compilation of information sources on the topic of family literacy for library professionals and other literacy providers. This paper includes the following main sections: (1) combined literature review and annotated bibliography; (2) survey results; and (3) family literacy program descriptions. The first…

In the United States, illiterate adults account for 20 percent of citizens over age 16. Yearly, 5 percent of these adults without a high school diploma are enrolled in Adult Basic Education (ABE) courses, which offer few appropriate counseling services. In order to study the counseling services available to ABE students in Maryland, on-site visits…

Media reports suggest widespread illiteracy among adults who may not be able to read, write, speak, or otherwise communicate competently enough to meet the demands of modern society. There is no consensus on the definition of illiteracy or supporting statistics. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the adult illiteracy rate is 13…