Supporting Adult Literacies Skills

What are ‘literacies’ skills?

Lifelong learning is about continuing to learn through our lives, picking up new skills and brushing up old ones. Our libraries are a great place for information, learning and leisure for anyone confident enough to step inside, but we want to make sure that we also support adults who lack confidence in their basic literacies skills – that is, reading, writing and numbers. 

Reading, writing and number skills are part of almost everything we do.  Handling information, being able to express ourselves, make decisions, solve problems in all areas of our lives – all these are closely linked to basic literacies skills. 

That is why we want to encourage all adults – whatever their abilities - to use libraries for leisure and learning, to read for pleasure or to find information, learn new skills, access computers – and to bring their friends or families with them!  If an adult needs a bit of support to use our libraries, we want to play our part in offering this help.

How do we support adults?

• Help for adults who may not have set foot in libraries for years
  We can offer support to individuals or groups, to give them confidence, help them to join and find what they are looking for.
• Information and referral
  We can point adults in the right direction if they ask for extra help with literacies skills.
• Activities and events
  We also work with partners, such as local Community Learning staff or Careers Scotland advisers, to offer classes and activities in libraries or Community Centres, so that we can support literacies skills along with other lifelong learning skills.
• A wide range of books, including Talking Books, Easy Reads, Quick Reads…
  We have fiction and non-fiction books at all reading levels, and books for teaching or learning grammar, spelling, English Language, Maths, and other life skills such as confidence-building, driving tests, using computers.  These are available ‘off the shelf’ in our ‘Skills Zone’ collections (Aboyne, Banchory, Ellon, Fraserburgh, Huntly, Kemnay, Peterhead, Stonehaven and Westhill libraries) at present, but can also be delivered to any branch library on demand through the usual reservation system.
  
• How to search for Literacy fiction (pdf 146kb)
• How to search for Literacy Non-fiction (pdf 214kb)

• ICT support and software
  We have a small amount of software to support literacies learners and may be able to offer extra support for a literacies learner to use a computer
• Additional support for Literacies Tutors
  We have a special Literacy Worker Membership card that entitles tutors to extra items and extended loan periods

For more information about any aspect of the work we do to support literacies, or help in finding suitable items on the catalogue please contact Dorothy Thomson on 01651 872707 or email alis@aberdeenshire.gov.uk.