About Us

About us

Friends of Literacy through Libraries is a support organization for the volunteers who so generously donate their time to this valuable program. In-services/workshops are held at different libraries throughout the county at various times each year in order for the volunteer tutors to share ideas and learn new techniques to use with their students. Friends of Literacy provides refreshments at the trainings for new tutors and assists with the training. Conferences, banquets, and fundraisers are held. Anyone interested in supporting adult literacy is invited to join the Friends of Literacy.

Since 1987 the Friends of Literacy have been supporting the adult literacy program in the Broward County Library System. Adults who request a tutor are introduced to a program called "Each One Teach One", which is coordinated by the Learning Services library program. The Each One Teach One program uses the Laubach Way to Reading, a set of phonics based books which were developed specifically for teaching adults how to read and write or to improve their reading skills. The staff of Learning Services trains volunteers how to use this program. Each volunteer is matched with a student in keeping with the Each One Teach One design of the program. The tutor volunteers an average of 1 - 2 hours per week of his/her time in a library which is closest to them and their student. Libraries offer the safest, most quiet, non-threatening places for the students to learn from tutors. The tutors dedicate more hours for lesson planning at home and for attending in-services provided by the Friends of Literacy.

Learning Services maintains the database of current students and tutors of the Each One Teach One program. It is currently located in the African-American Research Library and Cultural Center; however, services of the program are provided by telephone, email, postal mail, and inter-library delivery. The Learning Services director evaluates each new inquiring student, contacts trained tutors and matches the appropriate tutor with the student. After that there are follow-up trainings and in-services for the tutors, provision of achievement certificates tot he students as they progress, and provision of materials for each continuing level as the student advances. Staff and volunteers are available to answer questions by telephone or email.

After completing four levels of the Laubach Way to Reading, the students are encouraged to attend school to receive their GED. Many of them go on to technical school or college. There are also additional volunteers teaching English Cafe' classes and Crossroad Cafe' classes at specified libraries. These classes are aimed at intermediate students to improve English comprehension and conversation skills.

According to statistics kept by Learning Services for 2009, there have been almost 300 tutors working one-on-one with students each month. There are usually other non-readers waiting to be matched with a tutor.

If you would like to support literacy and want more information about becoming a volunteer tutor please Click here.