FIANLE

Library 3: FINAL PROJECT
RESEARCH GUIDE FOR ADULT ILLITERACY TRENDS IN THE UNITED STATES
Research Guide for Adult Illiteracy trends in Adult Americans

A. Overview
Adult Illiteracy trends in America is the topic chosen for this research guide. The main focus of this topic is to understand illiteracy in America, by reviewing our education system. Some questions to be answered are; why are there adult Americans with high school diplomas who don’t know how to read or write? What types of careers are available for illiterate adults? Are there programs out there to assist illiterate persons to help advance their education and careers?
One weak aspects of this topic is that there are other possible links to education levels of illiterate adults. For instance, pinpointing when or where the U.S. education system failed all illiterate Americans varies on an individual basis. It could be at the elementary school level or for some at a junior high school level or even high school. Also, other determining factors may contribute to the illiterate American. Some individuals had to work while attending school, thus making their education less of a priority. They could have come from broken homes or just from a family where English was not their primary spoken language.
There are a number of strong areas with this topic. There are a lot of research providing evidence that our educational system is lacking, causing illiteracy to go up in the United States. In fact, the federal government proved this itself by enacting the "No Child Left Behind" Act in order to try to save the entire educational system. Their passing of this legislation proves that our educational system has failed Americans and needed to be improved. Whether this was the correct answer or not has yet to be determined, but this proves that since illiteracy is so prevalent, it is caused by our educational system.

B. Library of Congress Subject Headings
Illiteracy
USE Illiteracy
Illiterate (May Subd Geog)

UF Illiterates
Illiterati

BT Persons
NT Church work with illiterate persons
Libraries and illiterate persons
Nonprofit organizations – services to illiterate persons

C. Keywords
Below are five keywords that can be used when searching library catalogs, reference sources, or online databases
Illiteracy AND American adults
Adults AND Illiteracy
Illiteracy AND Adult education
Illiteracy AND Adult literacy
Illiteracy AND Education

Some Boolean search strategies that may be helpful include:

Using "and". For example, since the topic is adult illiteracy, a good use of "and", would be to include it in the search (i.e."adults and illiteracy"). This will find all words in the search, however, they may appear in different parts of the article and in any order, though this will still narrow the search.

Using "or". "Or", will find either term and perhaps both. (For example, "adults or illiteracy"). In this case, this will broaden the search.
Using "not". "Not", will exclude a certain concept. For example, the statement "american illiteracy not children" will exclude articles containing the word "children" and make the search narrower and more focused.

D. Reference Sources
Below is a list of a few different sources that provide general descriptions regarding the topic at hand.
Hint: utilize subject specific dictionaries, encyclopedias in your library reference section.

Write a sentence describing each resource and how it relates to your topic.

The following encyclopedia is an item that is two volumes in length. There were three portions in the encyclopedia that was valuable information regarding adult literacy, including the history of illiteracy:

Barbara J. Guzzetti , eds. Literacy in America: an encyclopedia of history, theory, and practice. ABC-CLIO , 2002.

The below reference is a guide for available literacy programs in the U.S.

Machin, Stephen and Sandra McNally. The English experiment: an hour a day keeps illiteracy at bay.(national literacy programs of Britain and United States). Education Next 5.3 (Summer 2005).

The following reference source adress the "why" of illitearcy from a perpective of post World War II and onward.

The Challenge of Illiteracy: From Reflection to Action (Garland Reference Library of Social Science). Routledge; 1 edition (October 1, 1994)

E. Print Books
There a few good printed resources available on the topic of illiteracy trends with adult Americans. Below is a list of useful print resources:

The below resource is a personal approach to the topic of adult illiteracy. As stated in the title, the below book is a book that deals with the coping skills of having an adult in the same household, or parent, and how it affects the children of such circumstances.

• Rue, Nancy. Coping with an illiterate parent. New York: Rosen Pub. Group, 1990.

The two resources to follow are helpful tools in assessing adult illiteracy and also proved statistics from real case studies. Both sources are from literacy associations location in Illinois.

• GraceAnne A. Decandido, eds. Literacy & Libraries: learning from case studies/. Chicago: Office for Literacy and Outreach Services, American Library Association, 2001.
• Knell, Suzanne, Socgins Janet. Adult literacy assessment tool kit /; Illinois Literacy Resource Development Center, 2000.

The below listed book is a good source of information that deals with the politics of literacy in America. This books helps illustrate the problems as nation the United States facing when some of our own fall behind the learning curve.

• Demetrion, George. Conflicting Paradigms in Adult Literacy Education : In Quest of a U.S. Democratic Politics of Literacy. Mahwah, N.J Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., 2005.

F. Periodicals

Below is an editorial that was published in popular magazine, the New York Times. The target audience for this article is subscribers of this popular magazine or readers intereseted in the topics posted in this particular issue.

"Illiterate Americans." Editorial. New York Times 1993 New York Sep 14, 1993: (Late Edition (East Coast)): A.24.

To follow is an article published in a scholary journal which has been reviewed by the writers peers. This article is a clinical approach, again, to the why, of the illiteracy topic.

"Degree of Illiteracy and Phonological and Metaphonological Skills in Unschooled Adults". Loureiro, Clara de Santos; Willadino Braga, Lucia; Souza, Ligia do Nascimento; Filho, Gilberto Nunes; Queiroz, Elizabeth; Dellatolas, Georges. Brain and Language, v89 n3 p499-502 Jun 2004.

Just for extra bits of knowledge, Infoweb/Newsbank holds a wealth of articles relating to literacy. Some article listed below are from differenct city's throughout the U.S. It is interestign to know that different states have similar battles as well as advocates regarding illiteracy.

Janette Rose. "Low literacy rates affect everyone in the county." Muskogee Daily Phoenix and Times-Democrat (OK) July 28, 2008, Features: NewsBank America's Newspapers. [School or Library name, City, State]. July 31, 2008. http://infoweb.newsbank.com/.

"'I'm not stupid. I just can't read.' - Adult illiteracy explored in Ashe Cultural Arts Center play." Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) July 23, 2008, LIVING: 01. NewsBank America's Newspapers. [School or Library name, City, State]. July 31, 2008. http://infoweb.newsbank.com/.

"Redouble effort now to counter illiteracy in U.S.." Daily Review, The & Sunday Review (Towanda, PA) July 5, 2008, Editorial: NewsBank America's Newspapers. [School or Library name, City, State]. July 31, 2008. http://infoweb.newsbank.com/.

G. Website Resources

The below listed website resources provide great information regarding adult illiteracy in America. The is envaluable information available form CQ researcher online. Topics available via CQ researcher are widely arrayed.

This website sources to follow were located via CQ Researcher online.

Clemmitt, Marcia. "Reading Crisis?" CQ Researcher 18.8 (2008): 169-192. <http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2008022200>.

Jost, Kenneth. "Testing in Schools." CQ Researcher 11.15 (2001): 321-344. CQ Researcher Online. <http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2001042000>.

One additioanl website to help aide in the understanding of the adult illiteracy topic is the organization: National Institute for Literacy (http://www.nifl.gov/).

5th...the final blog

My brain has expanded (luckily my head hasn't). Seriously, I've gained a wealth of knowledge taking this course. Also, this being my first online course, I will admit it was a challenge, but in a good way. I also learned great time management skills from taking this course.
I was doubtful at first that I would take anything away from it, since I would not have face-to-face interaction. After it being done with, I don't feel as though I have missed out on anything. It is actually kind of nice being able to turn on and sit at my computer to do homework and to interact at the same time. I am still happy no driving was involved with going to and from my summer school class.
Whether or not I prefer traditional classes v. online classes, well, I can't determine that. If I had a bad experience this time around I may think differently. I do feel I worked just as hard to complete assignments and stay up on the reading, so I feel as though I've been in summer school, even w/out ever going to campus. If traditional is easier/harder..I don't know. I think it depends on the course and the instructor and also on the eagerness of the student (well, and they schedules). For me school is school...it is always a struggle. ;)
One thing I do know is online learning is good/ for library research courses? Would I have come to a face-to-face open workshop if one was offered for the course? Yes, but online was fine for me as well.

BLOG#4

The video "Information R/Evolution" was a great inspiration for my thoughts re. the following blog.
So, information competency is... the ability to:
Recognize the need for information
Know where to obtain information
Choose the proper source and retrieve appropriate information
Organize, analyze, and synthesize information
Use and communicate information
Is it important? YES - for those in certain careers that depend on constant need/means for information at their finger tip and more importantly for students, now of any age.
So, what does it mean to you? It means the world to me right now, being a student in a library databases class. Being a more information competent person is also helping me/has helped me in my career by being able to locate information with better ease and efficiency.
I think an information competent student knows how to better refine searching for particular topics/subjects, etc. with the skills they have learned . A student who is less competent in the skills of a person who is information competent would have a harder time for instance doing a research project on just about any given topic. Why is this? Well, as stated above, an information competent persons has the knowledge and skills to locate and obtain information, what to do with (whether it is relevant to their topic/outdated/useful, etc), and then know what to do with it next. Someone lacking such skills will have a harder time putting all the pieces together, or maybe not even know where to get all the pieces to begin, and then of course, not knowing what to do next. This will cause the unskilled person to waist a lot of time and effort.
Being enrolled in a course called Information Competency, with just one more week to go, I do will I may not be an expert researcher, but I do will as though I am an amateur (okay, maybe intermediate) information competent student.
I do plan to further my information competency skills by perhaps enrolling in the Lib. Tech. program. We shall see. However, at the least, I am more aware of the search engines out there in the www, and know the differences between reputable sources. I also know how to cite such sources.

BLOG # 3

AHH... the research process.

Doing research in today's world is a bit overwhelming, albeit very convenient. For the researcher it is a world/wealth of information right at their finger tips. Technology and information overload have help speed up the research process (how else can college kids turn in assignments in the 11th hour?). HOWEVER, for the more diligent researcher, the information overload can be a major stressor.
I've spent several days/a few weeks now using reference sources I've not used before, found answers to questions never asked of me before, and have evaluated all of the above. So, as a researcher, I do feel overwhelmed, though I cannot deny that I feel just a much (if not more) informed/smart than I did before researching my heart out.

As overloaded as I feel, I am sure I would not feel this way if I was researching in via card catalogs or by actually leaving my computer. So, is researcher easier in our current times than the past? YES.

Just a few pointers I have learned:
To Google everything. I've now used Google to search/convert liquid measurements for cooking, metric conversions, movie times, and weather...and more
All government based url's end in .gov! I know, its sounds dumb, I didn't know this before I even worked for city governments...I just never paid any attention to the .gov at the top of our websites.
If you are unable to remember proper ways to cite resources (either ALA, MLA, or Chicago style), use the latest version of Microsoft Word 2007 to type your doc. and let the ribbon/tool bar at the top: References tab-insert citation, then type in the bibliographic information it prompts you to enter...viola (Use your blog as an open forum to reflect on the experience you have had so far.
Okay, that is it for now. I still am not 100% comfortable blogging yet. I am just not as creative as Doogie Howser was.

Blog 2 or 3, I lost count

So far what I have learned and read for Lib3 has broadened my library learning horizons. I have always had an affinity for libraries, so my opinion has not changed about libraries. My view is that they are a must in our society regardless for electronic technical advances via the Internet. Constant access to information on the Internet does not, by any of my opinions, mean that library should or need to become obsolete. I strongly believe that reference librarians are highly needed...IN PERSON, not just to be available via email to answer info. questions.

I also think the children's programs are needed that many public libraries offer. I don't have children yet, but I want them to have the experience of going to story times and listening to someone and at the same time engage their imagination. I also want my children to have the responsibility and skills of using the library to loan and return items that are borrowed. I think a lot of Americans over look some of the benefits libraries have on our society. I think of them as building more responsible adults that value other property other than their own. I also fear that with technology with the Internet and video games, my future children will be lil Mortal Combat clones with not respect for public property. This is an obvious stretch of course, but I don’t wont libraries to be non-existent just because information is spread in all electronic formats.

The Internet plays a big role in my life, but I try not to get too caught up in needing it so badly. It is true I hardly ever step foot in a bank, since I do everything on line and retrieve cash from a drive thru machine, but take this class for instance, I would not be able to turn in some assignments had I only relied on the Internet. I desperately needed to use a (ok, a few) libraries in order to complete and fully understand my tasks.

I always feel as though I will have nothing to write/blog about, but then throw me a topic and I rant. Well, Happy Independence Day!