by Liz Daube
Staff Writer
Americans might not read novels on a regular basis, but they certainly read: From street signs to nutrition facts, warning labels, headlines, job applications and memos, the list goes on.
However, according to the National Adult Literacy Survey, nearly 20 percent of adults in Duval County read below a fifth grade level. That level of illiteracy makes everyday reading and writing a hardship for more than 150,000 local adults.
Several local nonprofit operations aim to help that population. The Jacksonville Public Library system offers one of the largest programs with its Center for Adult Learning, which is located at the main branch. The 10-member staff evaluates and attempts to treat the adults who come there for help, offering them group instruction, audio and video tapes and computer courses.
Sharon Hastings, manager of the literacy program, said the center saw more than 600 students in the last fiscal year. She said the program’s target audience is difficult to reach because no one knows about their problem.
“They’re very good at hiding it,” said Hastings. “You wonder why, after 15 years [of adult illiteracy], somebody is taking a class ... Something will drive them to come here. Something will change on the job, or the children are getting older.
“A lot of them want to read the Bible. They want to participate [in church,] but they’re embarrassed.”
The people who need help with reading and writing most usually have the most difficulty accessing that help, according to Jenny Mooney, a supervisor with the adult literacy program.
“They’ll say, ‘I had no idea that you guys existed,’“ said Mooney, adding that most people attend the program after a friend or family referral. “We get one person in the family, and the next week we’ll have the cousins and the brother.”
The library’s program has the resources to help students age 18 or over who read above a second-grade level and below a seventh-grade level. The staff also started working with English-as-a-second-language (ESL) students in 2000, adding special courses that currently serve people from 49 countries. The classes focus on speaking, reading and writing English.
Hastings said ESL and literacy students average between 35 and 45 years old. The ESL students tend to progress more quickly because they often have better educational backgrounds than those who are functionally illiterate, according to Hastings.
“Most of them [ESL students] are professionals in their countries [of origin,]” said Hastings. “We have former attorneys, medical professionals, bull fighters ... We’re not getting the migrant workers.”
Retention is one of the difficulties facing both ESL and adult literacy classes. Hastings said some students drop out because they’re busy balancing children and jobs, while others leave because their goals weren’t set very high.
“Not everybody wants a GED,” she said.
Mooney said students want to learn for different reasons, and even seemingly small changes mean a lot to them.
“We’ll call someone [who dropped out] and she’ll say she got a new job,” said Mooney. “She’ll have gone from working at a Subway to working at a bigger restaurant.”
The group literacy classes allow for greater efficiency and better morale, according to Hastings. She said classmates encourage each other to keep trying.
While Hastings said the library programs have steadier funding than some other nonprofit efforts, much of their money comes from the Jacksonville Public Library Foundation. She said volunteers remain a problem, however: They need to be properly trained by staff and committed to showing up regularly for at least six months.
“You have to find just the right person,” said Hastings. “It takes a long time [for students to accomplish their goals] and they get frustrated when there’s a turnover ... They need that stability.”
For more information on the library’s Center for Adult Learning,visit jpl.coj.net/library/cal.html