It was clear [at the first Summit in 1995] that literacy providers didn’t get that we were in the literacy business….If we were going to make this work, we had to talk differently.” (1995 Summit Participant)
Libraries across the country have been talking differently since the 1995 Summit and addressing the barriers which were identified at that time. The results are recognition, more partnerships, effective community involvement and integration of adult literacy into library services despite challenges at the local, provincial and national levels. This section presents a summary of the reflections of seven Anglophone and two Francophone librarians from across the country. Seven of these librarians attended the 1995 Summit.
We are at the table now in the spirit of collaboration. Working together, we play to our strengths. We are true education partners. (1995 Summit participants)
Overall, in the last decade libraries have gained recognition as important players in adult literacy and as welcome partners in collaborative efforts to advance adult literacy. Understanding the structure of the literacy movement at the national, provincial and local levels, libraries now see where they fit in, the roles they can assume and how they can contribute. Libraries have made significant steps in networking in their communities, building trust and active relationships with local educational, social service and business organizations. To reach people with literacy challenges, libraries have started working with these organizations to attract different populations of users and potential users - people such as the unemployed and inner city families who are often socially excluded. Outreach, the traditional way libraries took their successful programs on the road, is being transformed as communities and libraries work together to redefine needs and custom-design programs and collections to welcome and capture the interest of new users and non-users.
Despite the prominence of children’s literacy and adult second language programming within library systems, adult literacy is gradually gaining a higher profile National and provincial gatherings with libraries and literacy representatives, online linkages, and special adult literacy projects on the national and provincial levels have enabled libraries to work together with positive results. Some urban libraries have created literacy-librarian positions for adult literacy or hired adult educators to develop adult literacy programs including family literacy. Adult literacy is also part of staff orientation or is offered as part of staff development sessions in a number of library systems.