Dudley Literacy Center at Boston Public Library

A Rich Community Resource Available to Everyone

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Karin Chao and Minnie Mendez are happy to help visitors.	Plenty of information and classes are available.

Did you know that the Boston Public Library has a community Literacy Center to help adults and families? The Dudley Literacy Center is a great place for adults to practice their English conversation skills, learn or expand their computer skills, prepare for their GED get ESL practice, and more. The small but highly dedicated staff , led by Karin Chao, BPL's Literacy Coordinator, is glad to offer personal assistance and attention to individual clients, and to teach group classes and workshops.

In addition to direct service to clients in the Center, DLC staff also help coordinate the literacy resource collections and services at all BPL branches and the Central library. Working with librarians and para-professionals in selecting adult literacy materials and planning literacy programs, i.e. ESL Conversation Groups, the Literacy Center ensures that all Boston Public Library locations have basic literacy information and help available for patrons.

The Dudley Literacy Center is located at 65B Warren Street in Roxbury in the heart of Dudley Square. The Center is pleasantly light and airy, with plenty of space for clients to spread out their work or to browse. There are private study carrels, an internet lab, work tables and a comfortable conversation area for ESL discussion groups.

Resources are shelved by subject area, and color coded for easy retrieval.	The sunlit Conversation Area--a great place to practice speaking English .

Adult Literacy: A Great Need in Massachusetts

According to the 2000 U.S.Census, 12.2% of people living in Massachusetts are immigrants, and nearly half of them arrived in the last 10 years. This means that over 770,000 state residents are new Americans, and most will need help to learn how to operate in their newly adopted language. Some of these people will want to pursue the dream of attaining U.S. citizenship, which will take even more preparation and study. (U.S. Census Bureau http://www.census.gov/census2000/states/ma.html )

Furthermore, 650,000 Massachusetts natives--that's 15.2% of adults over the age of 25-- have not yet earned their high school diploma or equivalency. They are very likely going to need to earn a diploma or GED in order to get and keep better jobs, and they will have to work to prepare for the exams. More than 1.1 million (1/3) of the state’s 3.2 million workers do not have the skills required to perform in the state’s rapidly changing economy and need adult basic education services. (MassINC report, New Skills for a New Economy, 2001)

21,252 adults are currently on waiting lists for services (non-duplicated count) because there aren’t adequate resources to fund needed programs across the state. (Massachusetts Dept. of Education, 2002) 16,186 of these must wait an average of 6 months – 2 years

Literacy is more than merely being able to read at a certain grade level, as was once believed. It is now defined more as the ability to successfully perform basic tasks required of adults in today's society, and to be able find the information needed to gain that competence. Being able to vote, read street signs and driving directions, send and receive email, fill out a job application properly, get a prescription filled and taking the correct dose of medicine, comprehending a political essay and being able to discuss it at a dinner party---these are all different functions of adult literacy. Adults who need help with these skills are not alone, not in America nor among all the developed nations of the world, and it is to everyone's benefit for them to seek the help they need to participate fully as members of society.

(Source: National Institute for Literacy http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/facts/facts_overview.html)

"Many of us take for granted that daily survival depends on our ability to read and write," explains Karin Chao, who is BPL's Literacy Coordinator.

Herminia Mendez and Richard Winter-Green both work with Karin to provide top-notch personalized service at the Center, pitching in with community outreach, collection development and maintenance, and working with clients.

Minnie Mendez greets a new visitor.	Karin and Minnie show off part of their collection.

Since there is so much at stake for clients, the Dudley Literacy Center offers tutoring in reading, writing, English as a Second Language (ESL), internet workshops, game nights, resources for the workplace and life skills, citizenship, and the G.E.D. The Center is part of a local and extended community of literacy centers that refer clients to one another and supplement each other's services, as the need is greater than any one organization can supply alone.

The Boston Region is fortunate to have several member libraries who provide literacy support to the community, and each of them is much needed. ALRI/SABES, SABES/World Education Center, and the DMA's Cultural Competency Resource Center are among the wonderful local resources for adult literacy.

Coming this fall: the Higher Education Information Center (HEIC) is joining forces with the Dudley Literacy Center. They are located inside the Center and will have a counselor available 15 hours a week to help adults who are seeking higher education opportunities. HEIC can offer help and information about the SAT tests, college admissions and financial aid for adults who want to continue their education beyond the high school level.

Schedule and Classes at the Dudley Literacy Center:

Hours of Operation:

• Tuesdays 1-5pm
• Wednesdays 1-5pm
• Thursdays 12-4pm; 5-8pm
• Appointments are available at other times--please call to make an appointment: 617-859-2446

Classes and Events: (Note--all DLC classes are free and open to the public. Some require registration and some do not.)

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