Business, Innovation and Skills Committee Inquiry into Adult Literacy and
Numeracy
Written evidence submitted jointly by SCL – The Society of Chief Librarians
and ASCEL – The Association of Senior Children’s and Education Librarians
Looking at the Scope, Scale and Remit of Arts Council England and examine the
economic and artistic criteria that underpin funding decisions
1: Executive Summary
SCL and ASCEL:
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are submitting evidence to this Inquiry because our library services
have a vital role in support both adults , and in turn their families to
develop literacy and numeracy skills.
believe that it is vital to provide a range of routes and pathways into
learning with clear options for progression. It is important to recognise
that adults will have a range of learning styles and different confidence
levels and provision must be flexible enough to accommodate learner’s
needs.
believe that helping adults to understand the immediate and longer
term benefits of improving their skills can motivate them to learn, and
support the learning needs of their families.
recognise that there is no one way to help adults learn how to read,
write and do maths. A formal approach may work for some whilst
others will benefit from a less formal more anonymous approach
emphasize that supporting adults developing key skills is integral to
each of the Public Library Universal Offers.
highlight that public libraries offer a range of online learning
opportunities, and fun creative structured learning activities with
partners and take an active role in national learning campaigns
identify the role of public libraries in supporting employability skills
through job clubs, volunteering opportunities and work experience.
2: Who we are:
The Society of Chief Librarians (SCL) is comprised of the heads of public libraries in
England and Wales. It leads the debate on the future of public libraries and
advocates for continuous improvement of the public library service on behalf of local
people.
ASCEL is the national network of managers in children’s public and schools library
services in England and Wales. ASCEL’s aim is to support library services to deliver
excellence for children, young people and schools.
3: Reason for submitting evidence
SCL and ASCEL are submitting evidence to this Inquiry because public library
services, their staff and volunteers have a vital role in supporting adults who are
developing literacy and numeracy skills. ASCEL is particularly interested in libraries
offering support for parents in order that they can better help their children
4: Submission
What is the Government currently doing to help adults improve their reading, writing
and maths skills?
1: Funding local authorities and local colleges to provide a varied offer is vital.
Grants via DfE etc to a range of literacy / numeracy charities are also important.
How can the Government make sure that adults have the right skills that can help them
find a job, which in turn will help the country, and more widely?
2: SCL and ASCEL believe that it is vital to provide a range of routes and pathways
into learning with clear options for progression. It is important to recognise that adults
will have a range of learning styles and different confidence levels and so the literacy
and numeracy offer must be flexible enough to accommodate different points of entry
and ways of learning which respond to individual learning styles. For example some
will prefer on-line learning and others will prefer being taught either individually or in
groups in a more formal setting.
3: It is important that adults can be helped to identify and acknowledge their own
needs to make learning more effective and so learning opportunities must easily
available; accessible and of little or no cost. Helping adults to understand the
immediate and longer term benefits of improving their skills can motivate them to
learn. For example, the desire to be able to support their children can be a powerful
motivator.
What are the best ways to help adults learn how to read, write and do maths—through
formal education providers or in a different way?
4: There is no one way to help adults learn how to read, write and do maths. Formal
education providers can provide immediate guidance and support and can respond
to individual needs by developing different learning strategies. However, for some
adults, participating in formal education can bring back difficult memories of unhappy
school days and they will be very reluctant to engage and their confidence and ability
to learn will be impaired.
5: For these adults and for adults who lead busy lives and are unable to commit to a
regulated approach to learning, a more informal offer can build confidence, helping
adults to develop skills which can lead on to participation in more formal education
provision.
6: SCL has developed four public library Universal Offers1 which under pin the
delivery and development of services in the key areas of information, digital
development; reading and health. Supporting adults developing key skills is integral
to each of these offers.
7: Public Libraries can be a gateway to a wider learning experience. They do offer,
for many adults the first step back into learning- whether that be via an introduction
to IT skills with an IT buddy / volunteer / member of library staff, to a more structured
class on tracing your Family Tree.
8: Public libraries offer a safe and non-judgemental learning environment for adults
and a wide range of learning opportunities. They can deliver fun creative learning
and reading activities that are socially engaging and empower individuals to make
choices and take responsibility for their learning, for example they deliver the six
book challenge2 working with partners from prisons to colleges to workplaces. They
offer a wide variety of online courses that customers can undertake in the library,
sometimes with the support of library staff or at home. They also support national
campaigns and challenges. For example SCL and ASCEL are supporting the
National Numeracy Challenge3 encouraging customers and staff to take the online
challenge.
9: Public Libraries are often commissioned by the Local Authority Learning and Skills
provider to deliver a range of informal learning opportunities as this is recognised as
a valued route for many adults to begin/continue their learning journey.
10: Public Libraries also offer opportunities for adults and young people to develop
employability skills through a network of job clubs, mentoring and work experience
and also a wide range of volunteering opportunities.
Access to technology is a vital part of this offer- and the support which is provided as
part of this by staff, volunteers and coaches / mentors is vital.
11: SCL and ASCEL would therefore encourage government recognition of the
important and unique role which public libraries do play in supporting adult literacy
and numeracy, and would also highlight the importance of acknowledging that a
mixed economy of adult learning provision underpinned by a strategic offer would
produce the best result in turns of access to learning and motivation to learn.
1
http://www.goscl.com/libraries-of-the-21st-century-scl-launches-four-national-offers-for-publiclibraries/
The Universal Offers cover the four key areas of library service which customers and stakeholders
see as essential to a 21st century library service. They are the Universal Reading Offer, Information
Offer, Digital Offer, Health Offer
2
http://sixbookchallenge.org.uk/
3
http://www.nationalnumeracy.org.uk/home/index.html