By ALEX BYRNE
The announced closure of the Ford car plant in Geelong, waning jobs in mining and forecast rises in unemployment have highlighted the need for flexibility in the Australian workforce.
A key factor in employability is literacy and the news is depressing. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported recently that more than two-fifths (7.3 million) of Australians aged 15 to 74 have literacy skills below the level needed to function in today's society. With limited literacy, people cannot read contracts or fill out forms and are easy to exploit. Employment opportunities are limited, especially for older people whose literacy levels tend to be lower, according to studies.
Studying in the library.
Preliminary findings from an international study show that another two-fifths of the population have skills at the basic level and less than one-fifth is at higher levels. The findings confirm a 2006 ABS study which showed that we are not ensuring that all Australians can master the high levels of literacy needed for a contemporary economy.
A lifelong commitment to developing literacy is needed across the states and territories. Literacy development needs to be emphasised in the formal education system but must also draw on community initiatives and programs including the use of volunteers and learning in informal settings which may be less intimidating to those who have left school.
Although outside the formal education sector, libraries provide keys to building literacy. As trusted public institutions which are open to all, libraries offer welcoming environments in which people can find the information they need, engage with knowledge and ideas, and develop the literacy skills essential to actively participate in today's society.
Far from the dusty book repositories of the past, today's libraries are vibrant places with community support and very varied programs. Nearly half of the Australian population belongs to public libraries and many others attend library events or use and other types of libraries including university, school and state. This level of community trust and libraries' long commitment to learning makes them a natural platform on which to address literacy wholeheartedly.
Public library programs relevant to literacy start early. Many provide 'book bags' to new babies and their mothers containing a first book and tips on reading at home. Rhyme Time for under-twos and Story Time for preschoolers introduce children to the world of reading and language while their parents –sometimes grandparents – connect with each other. In some areas, such as Ryde, these activities are bilingual, recognising the diversity of our population.
During school years, students come to public libraries to borrow books, check the internet, play games and hang out, always absorbing the value of literacy. By HSC time, the library is a natural place to study, a habit that persists for many through TAFE or university and on to career and business development. After school and holiday activities deepen the interest in being literate and in learning as I recently saw with Aboriginal kids in Eden.
Library programs reach into the lives of the most vulnerable in our community including prisons, hospitals and retirement homes. Programs are tailored to people with disabilities and those with limited English as well as the young and the old and those in between. Libraries have easy reading materials as well as novels, histories and biographies. Community languages are a priority and a challenge. Blacktown City Library, for example, offers materials in 27 languages including Twe, Urdu, Somali and Hindi.
Audio books, which were once the preserve of the vision impaired, are today used by truckies, tractor drivers and busy mothers. Online services in libraries enable people to access information and fill out forms, often with the assistance of library staff. Books and pamphlets provide easy to read information including health and drug information and the State Library's plain English legal information access service. Partnerships with community groups provide volunteer literacy tutoring.
Improved literacy has great potential to enrich an individual's quality of life on a personal, community and work level. We are fortunate that we have a great community institution that can help us tackle the challenge of bringing all Australians to the level needed today.
Today's libraries are using their community position to work creatively in metropolitan, regional and remote areas to address literacy issues. Many libraries have already adopted innovative programs to address the needs of their unique and sometimes culturally diverse communities. But we who provide library services need to better understand how to use our skills and our status as trusted public institutions in literacy and learning. Working together with other community groups and the education sector, we can build a more literate and more resilient Australia.
Alex Byrne is the NSW State Librarian & Chief Executive of the State Library of NSW. The National and State Libraries of Australasia convened an Australian and New Zealand conference Brave New Worlds: Libraries, Learning and Community Needs this week.