This document addresses issues related to the problem that many U.S. citizens do not have literacy skills adequate to meet their needs and ambitions. The first section of the paper provides an overview of the problem, discussing how to define literacy, how it has been measured, some estimates of how many people are illiterate, who they are and where they are located. Intergenerational and cultural illiteracy, effects of illiteracy on the workplace, and literacy in the military are also discussed. The second section of the paper highlights the types of literacy services available and their major providers. Advocacy, awareness, information, and referral services are discussed. Federal programs are described, as are programs provided by libraries, by the Laubach Literacy Action organization and the Literacy Volunteers of America organization, by community development agencies, by churches, by community colleges and universities, by business and labor, and by the military. The third section of the paper addresses issues related to delivery of literacy services. Patterns of participation, materials and instructional approaches, use of volunteers in literacy programs, professionalism, and coordination among agencies are discussed. Concluding the paper is a listing of addresses and telephone numbers of 22 agencies and organizations that work in the adult literacy area. A 54-item reference list is included. (CML)

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