1. Victorian Adult Literacy Basic Education Council

2. VALBEC is a not for profit, volunteer managed, professional organisation
that has represented the adult literacy, numeracy and basic education
fields in Victoria for over 30 years.
Our core business is to provide information and professional development
support for our members and the wider field. Central to the role of the
committee is advocacy and advice on curriculum, government policy and
matters that impact on practitioners and learners in Victoria and nationally
through our links with ACAL.
Our professional development activities include an annual state
conference, twilight forums, workshops and half day forums.
Our flagship journal, Fine Print, is one of only two dedicated adult
literacy, language and numeracy journals in Australia.

3. Morrisons
Mt.Evelyn
Building supportive links for low level literacy students
between CGEA and VET courses within our organisation.

4. Morrisons, Mt.Evelyn
Google Maps

5. The circle of Trust.
VET
Coordinator CGEA
Coordinator
VET
Student
CGEA/Literacy
VET Tutor Tutor

6. Prose literacy distributions, Australia:
IALS (1996) and ALLS (2006)
100%
-1%
80%
+ 2%
60%
40% + 2%
20%
- 3%
0%
1996 2006
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4/5

7. Prose literacy level by industry type
Education
Finance
Public administration
Health and social work
Real estate, renting and other business
Mining/quarrying
Other community and personal services
Wholesale and retail trade
Transport, storage and communication
Hotels and restaurants
Agriculture, forestry and fishing
Manufacturing
Construction
0 .2 .4 .6 .8 1
Proportion
Level 1 Level 2
Level 3 Level 4/5

8. A sociocultural perspective...
We never simply just read and write, but read and
write in a situated place, with a social identity and
history, making meaning of what we read and write
though our own particular world paradigm. In other
words literacy only makes sense when it reflects our
own sociocultural worlds.
(Gee, 2000, p180).

9. Libraries can be scary places

10. Alan’s story
Intimidated by the whole idea..
Memories from childhood

11. Sandra’s story
Her child gave her permission to go the
library and read ….
Library helped her make friends in a
new community… Learn about
education courses….

12. Case study
Meagan was a mature aged student, had left school
early, single parent and disillusioned with education.
Enrolled in CGEA- stopped and started
Successful in CGEA (Support, time and patience)
Enrolled in VET lacked confidence- enrolled in CGEA again.
(simultaneous courses)
Entered a library for the first time
Meagan graduated her VET course and is now working as
a community carer and in an aged care facility.

13. “On the first day I felt really embarrassed. I
couldn’t do anything and I had to ask for
help. It was like I had this mask on my face. I
didn’t want to think I was as dumb as I was
told I was. So I felt like I had to wear masks
all the time and try to be someone else, just
as long as it wasn’t me.”

14. “I have so much more confidence. I
can read things around me. For
instance, I had never read a menu
before. Previously, when I went out to
dinner I knew straight away I would
just have a chicken parmigana. After
all, everybody knows most menus
have a chicken parmigana.”

15. “But now, I have choice. I can read
the menu and try different things. I
get a great sense of accomplishment
because I can write a quick note
telling the teacher that my son is
wearing those pants today because
the other ones are wet.”

16. “Once you start to study, you understand the
word literacy so much more, and you realise
you can do it. Sure it means reading and
writing but it also means understanding
things and understanding the world around
you.”

17. “I think relationships are
important to learning”
Says Meagan

18. How does a librarian
“spot” a customer who
may have low literacy?
What do they look like?

19. How libraries can welcome
Smile Smile

20. How libraries can welcome
Ask “Can I help you?”
Speak “friendly”
Use simple language

21. How libraries can welcome
Start a conversation
Have computers in eye sight
so you can see if any one is
struggling

22. Marketing to adults with low
literacy
Get to know your local Community
Houses “LEARN LOCAL”
Advertise using simple language

23. Marketing to adults with low
literacy
Create events in the library
Ensure events are at low cost and
appeal to all
Offer the library space to the
community

24. Ideas for libraries do
Story time
Interest groups --Inclusion is important
Embrace diversity (not just different
language groups)
Help with using computers

25. Ideas for libraries do
Audio tapes of books on display
Form relationships with adult
literacy teachers
Become teachers in the library
Tell stories of how to use the
library

26. Ideas for libraries do
Offer meeting rooms /spaces
computer labs for teachers to
use with their students
Open days/Invite literacy
classes in

27. Literacy is social identity
It is the mastery of secondary
discourses
(Gee 1991)

28. Libraries are more than places to access the
internet or borrow a book, they are hubs of
community identities.
They provide opportunities for people to
engage in the community.
Therefore libraries are fertile ground to
grow secondary discourses and nurture new
identities.