Library workers help bridge the literacy gap

Everyone can learn to improve their literacy skills, but not everyone can access the help they need, or knows where they can access support. Societal changes are increasingly demanding more sophisticated literacy skills to fully participate in daily life. Solving literacy challenges is key to advancing social equity and our standard of living across the country.

Bridging the literacy gap is a key role of libraries and library workers. In school, public, and post-secondary libraries across the country, CUPE library workers plan, organize, and facilitate a broad range of literacy programs to support skills development across the age span. They work with library visitors to build the skills and confidence needed to grow and reach their potential.

Read the personal stories of CUPE library worker members to learn more about the role they play in promoting literacy. And take a look at the diverse range of literacy programs and services they deliver to nurture literacy skills. The stories and services highlight the knowledge, skills, and creative talents of CUPE library workers and the breadth of programming that’s available. 

CUPE library workers are proud of the work they do to improve literacy and this month, we want to recognize and thank them for all they do to help people improve their literacy skills from coast to coast to coast.

What is literacy?

We typically think of literacy as reading, writing, and counting skills. But it also encompasses our ability to learn, problem solve, and think critically. They’re skills that help us learn, work, and participate in our communities.

UNESCO defines literacy “as a means of identification, understanding, interpretation, creation, and communication in an increasingly digital, text-mediated, information-rich and fast-changing world. Literacy is a continuum of learning and proficiency in reading, writing and using numbers throughout life and is part of a larger set of skills, which include digital skills, media literacy, education for sustainable development and global citizenship as well as job-specific skills.”

When asked how they define literacy, CUPE library workers expressed it’s the ability to:

  • Move through everyday life without encountering barriers to communication, including using a computer, understanding your finances, and learning about different cultures
  • Understand various forms of communication that enrich a person’s life, including reading and understanding a contract and separating fact from fiction online
  • Follow the news, complete forms online, and transition from a paper world to a digital one
  • Make sense of and participate in your community, including reading and understanding signage, applying for jobs, and advocating for better working condition

Why is literacy important?

Literacy is transformational. It empowers and liberates people. It boosts self esteem. It changes lives, families, and communities. It feeds growth, unleashes potential, and empowers people with the capability and confidence they need to realize their goals. It helps reduce poverty and increases participation in the labour market. A 1% increase in literacy scores can result in a 3% increase in GDP. And literacy skills are linked to better health, higher earning potentials, and higher levels of civic engagement.

  • Within our union, literacy has many benefits, including:
  • Increasing union involvement and building our collective strength
  • Making collective agreements accessible to all union members
  • Meeting the needs of precarious workers who are marginalized within the union, such as part time, casual, and temporary workers
  • Better equipping members to observe health and safety measures in the workplace
  • Increasing levels of civic engagement
  • Empowering members to advocate for themselves and their communities
  • Increasing electoral participation
  • Creating a bridge between union and non-union workers
  • Helping to undo the effects of systemic discrimination on the basis of race, class, gender, citizenship status, sexual orientation, and ability
  • Creating opportunities for everyone to improve their quality of life and building stronger connections with others

Library workers are literacy leaders and help change peoples’ lives. Take a moment this month to show your appreciation for library workers and the positive impact they have had on your life or that of a family member!