Every now and then we have programmes and articles on the local media discussing the national minimum curriculum, the educational system and the competencies of parents and teachers to ensure a literate society.

Two conferences, one about family literacy and the other about lifelong learning, have recently been organised in Malta. Libraries and librarians, and their role in promoting literacy and lifelong learning, were not part of any of the programmes. Why?

In developed countries, the public library is the local centre for information, making all kinds of knowledge and information readily available.

The public library is an essential element in literacy and lifelong learning, as it is the place that provides access to learning. Or so it should. The big question is whether Maltese public libraries are equipped to face this challenge.

This year, Unesco launched the United Nations Literacy Decade 2003-2012, aware of the fact that around the world there are 860 million adults who are illiterate, over 100 million children have no access to school and countless children, youth and adults who attend school or other education programmes fall short of the required level to be considered literate in today's complex world. A paradox, perhaps, when one hears talk about an all inclusive information society and the elimination (sic) of the much hyped about "digital divide".

Family literacy is defined as any programme or initiative that aims to work through parents to improve the reading and writing of their children as well as those that have the improvement of the parents' literacy as an aim. Family literacy programmes initiatives in libraries are important as they support learners through engagement, guidance and resource provision. Resource provision is, in fact, a function that has been supplied by libraries for many years through books and multimedia - value added features that other literacy programmes conducted outside libraries are unable to offer.

According to the National Statistics Office, between September 19, 2001 and March 31, 2002, 55,963 pupil days were lost due to absenteeism. The Culture Participation Survey, carried out in 2000, indicated that only 13.9 per cent of the adult population visited libraries for leisure and, even more worrying, only 7.6 per cent said they visited libraries for study or work. Not exactly encouraging figures!

The Census of Population and Housing, 1995, indicated that 11.24 per cent of the adult population (15+) was considered as illiterate. A literate person, for census purposes and according to Unesco definitions, is one "who can, with understanding, both read and write a short, simple statement".

Is that enough to be considerate literate in today's society? Back in 1970, futurist Alvin Toffler had implied that "the illiterate of the year 2000 will not be those who cannot read and write but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn".

The definition of a literate person is changing to reflect the demands of today's society. Functional literacy is considered to be the ability of a person to engage in all activities in which literacy is required for effective functioning in his/her community and also enabling the person to continue to use reading writing and calculation for his/her own and the community's development. It would be interesting if local research could determine the rate of functionally literate population that to date, so far as I know, has not been quantified.

Learning today is not a luxury limited to the elite but a commodity that is rapidly becoming essential for survival. The rapid changes and the complex environment place a constant burden on the individual to acquire a multiplicity of skills and knowledge irrespective of their age, social, economic or political status.

Lifelong learning is important because continuous learning is seen as a survival tool in the rapidly changing working environments of today. The implications of having a literate society have an enormous weight on the ability of individuals to pursue lifelong learning activities.

But what about the illiterate persons in our society? Can we provide them with an informal environment and stimulate them to become literate and therefore able to pursue lifelong learning initiatives?

In developed countries, the public libraries have an important role to play in the development of literacy and lifelong learning. They are the local centres of information, making all kinds of knowledge and information available to their users. All age groups must find materials relevant to their needs and collections and services have to include all types of appropriate media and modern technologies to compliment traditional materials.

According to the Unesco public library manifesto (1994) there are 12 key missions that should be at the core of the public library services among which: providing opportunities for personal creative development, supporting and participating in literacy activities and programmes for all age groups, and initiating such activities if necessary.

Furthermore, the manifesto goes on to state: "It (the public library) has to be an essential component of any long-term strategy for culture, information provision, literacy and education".

The final point in the manifesto states that "decision makers at national and local levels and the library community at large, around the world, are hereby urged to implement the principles expressed in this manifesto".

The current situation of the local public library system is, unfortunately, precarious and does not permit the local public libraries to play the role they should play in literacy programmes, let alone initiate such activities.

Funding is a major problem and the stock one finds in our libraries is certainly not conducive to attract children for leisure reading, let alone adults for lifelong learning.

Public libraries are, at present, only superficially open to all. The opening hours of the central and regional public libraries are inadequate for adults working full days and the situation in branch libraries is much worse. Their collections are inadequate and their opening hours are minimal (mostly twice a week for a couple of hours).

Instead of investing in new ideas and human resources, local authorities have kept faith to the superannuated idea of public libraries... so long as there are few books on the shelves and someone to lend them out, they are content.

Whereas other countries have seen their public libraries as central to deliver new services (such as family literacy programmes, lifelong learning initiatives, community information centres, e-government delivery and internet access) in our case, the local public libraries were so far left out of the equation. Why?

The answer is simple. Libraries in Malta are not accessible so initiatives such as provision of internet access to the public (eMalta), Hilti clubs (FES) and computer literacy courses (My Web by eMalta) had to find alternative solutions like opening primary schools and local councils. A situation that, unfortunately, is leading to public libraries becoming increasingly marginalised.

So where do we go from here? Recent announcements indicate that a much-needed revamp to the local public and national libraries is in the pipeline. Public participation in the changes that will be proposed is essential. We must not forget that the main and most essential components of any library remain its users.

There is no doubt that the ways in which public libraries can contribute towards expansion of family literacy and lifelong learning are many and examples are numerous from all over the world. The main concern for local authorities remains where will the hard cash come from to promote libraries to literacy and lifelong centres. Extended opening hours, staff training and recruiting, investment in ICT and developing decent collections for users all demand funding that at the moment does not seem available.

Restricted funds for libraries, however, is not something peculiar to the Maltese islands. Other countries have partially solved this problem by involving the private sector, directing funds from national lotteries and recruiting volunteers. Best practices abound and we do not have to reinvent the wheel.

Developing literacy centres based on public libraries will be cost effective in the Maltese context where resources are limited. Literacy trainers could be identified to work from the public libraries. In this way, the space of the library could be used to conduct classes and the learning materials could be organised without much additional cost. On the other hand, literacy students visiting the library for classes will gradually learn to use the materials in the library to practise their new skill. This will prevent relapse into illiteracy.

The public libraries can also contribute to the lifelong learning by supporting the learners to identify and locate the material relevant to the needs of the users. They can be proactive by providing an SDI (selective dissemination of information) service for the lifelong learning of their local communities.

The promotion of computer literacy is another area in which public libraries should take a central role. The eMalta Commission has already initiated activities in this sense through the My Web initiative. A useful and valid contribution that, however, needs to be supported by continuity in an informal environment (public libraries) where an intermediary (the librarian) assists people. We need to dispel the emerging myth that the only information intermediary needed is a mouse.

The public library system needs to expand to a digital network where the resources of other libraries (not only public libraries) can be exploited. Making the collections of public libraries available online is a step in the right direction. It will be of little use, however, if users are not offered ILL (interlibrary loan) services and have to travel to the holding library for the required material. In our small island, ILL services should provide the user with the required material within 24 hours.

We have to rethink the role of public libraries in Malta. The illiterates are not yet considered as potential users of our libraries and catering for lifelong learning is not considered a primary duty. Our educational system has so far been teacher-centred rather than student-centred and this does not help to inculcate the reading and independent-learning habits among our students. This situation does not help the public to recognise the public libraries as centres of literacy and lifelong learning.

It is recommended that the local authorities cooperate with the local association representing libraries (MaLIA) and other main players in the proposed revamp of the local system to ensure that public libraries make a valid contribution towards family literacy and lifelong learning. Fragmented efforts will only lead to temporary results and people building their own niches.

The government is urged to define a national policy on information that acknowledges the unique and vital role of public libraries and sustains them with a specific legislation (see Copenhagen Declaration).

The adoption of the Unesco public library manifesto 1994 and the IFLA public library standards are crucial if we need to make sure that public libraries are in a position to play a central role in promoting family literacy and lifelong learning.

Public librarians need to acquire new skills and competencies to be able to deliver literacy skills to the public. Their role as intermediaries and trainers needs to be supported by training opportunities.

In conclusion, a call is made for the setting up of a National Literacy Trust that should organise activities such as a National Literacy Campaign with public libraries at the centre of such a campaign. Once again, best practices beyond our shores abound.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.