Literacy and libraries

International Literacy Day is celebrated on September 8 every year with the aim of highlighting the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies. It was originally designated by Unesco in 1965.

The Malta Library and Information Association (MaLIA) recognises literacy as one of the key tools for the sustainable development of people and communities. On the occasion of International Literacy Day, MaLIA would like to emphasise that libraries still have an important role in helping people acquire the skills required to be literate and engage in lifelong learning activities that are nowadays considered as essential in any society.

It is estimated that 860 million of the world's adults do not know how to read and write. Most of the readers may think literacy is a problem of developing countries, not Malta. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Cases of school leavers unable to read and write after more than 10 years of schooling are, unfortunately, not so uncommon and we all know of adults who are unable to read a newspaper or fill out a tax form.

According to the latest Census of Population and Housing (1995), 11.24 per cent of the population aged 10 years and over were at the time illiterate. Translated to the most recent population data available, this percentage is equivalent to over 45,000 people (aged 10+) that are unable to "read and write a sentence in their own language". This definition, however, is rather restrictive when applied to the realities of today where globalisation, new technologies and new forms of organisation in business and government have made the world a more complicated place. This means that Maltese citizens today have to be more skilled at reading, writing, counting and computing - to compete for jobs in the new economy and to take their rightful place as informed citizens in a democracy. A national adult literacy survey could help us get a clearer picture of the current levels of literacy we have in the Maltese islands.

Despite the fact that libraries can play a very important role in promoting literacy among children, it is felt that our libraries must market themselves more aggressively to be able to compete with TV, videos and computer games. Children may succumb to the appeal of popular culture if libraries are unable to shed their stuffy image and be able to attract a more materialistic, consumerist youth. There is a dire need for our public libraries to be pro-active and start offering literacy-based activities, displays and exhibitions for children and young adults. Collaboration between school and public libraries is another issue on which we need to focus to ensure that library-based literacy programmes can be a success.

We tend to focus most of our library-based literacy activities on children, often disregarding the fact that we have adults who are illiterate and need special attention. Adult literacy-based programmes in libraries can provide an informal and flexible environment. These programmes should provide an alternative to the formal and rather strict environment of most adult literacy programmes and are very popular in public libraries abroad.

It is important that our public libraries are able to identify their target audiences. There are several audiences that seem suited to library-based literacy programmes and these include school leavers, unemployed, older people and adults with literacy difficulties.

Planning the activities is fundamental. Issues such as suitable place for classes and practice and best times should be considered. Special care should also be given to materials required and the skills and experience of the project leaders. Public libraries are also encouraged to involve key people in the community. This will ensure that programmes are interesting and include practical and relevant issues.

Despite the well known limitations, public libraries should still be at the forefront in the fight against illiteracy.

The authorities must also play their part and realise that acquiring good literacy skills is not just a schools or even just an education issue. We need to utilise all possible avenues to motivate and guide at-risk children, young people and adults, helping them to see literacy skills as an important and attainable goal.

MaLIA firmly believes that libraries have an important role in promoting literacy but at the same time points out that there exist major policy challenges. Our public and school libraries have considerable gaps in collection development, suffer from perennial funding barriers and have a shortage of trained personnel with the necessary skills to motivate and assist persons with literacy problems. Central government and local councils should dedicate more attention (and funds) towards the development of our school and public libraries.

Research has shown that illiteracy and social exclusion are inextricably linked and that libraries have the potential to assist disadvantaged citizens. The often mentioned "digital divide" has its roots in a more fundamental and basic concept; the gap between the "information rich" and the "information poor". We must work hard towards reducing this gap and the contribution of policymakers and service providers (including libraries) towards reducing illiteracy is fundamental in this respect.

Mr Mizzi is chairman of MaLIA.