Introduction Federal statistics indicate that approximately twenty percent of adults in the United States are functionally illiterate, unable to read and write in English well enough to function in today's technological society or learn new living skills. Functional illiteracy occurs in all social and economic classes. The cost of illiteracy is high - economically, socially, and politically. Loss of earning power results in less tax revenue, but increases welfare, incarceration, and related government expenditures.
Uninformed voters make poor political decisions.
To address the issue of adult literacy in Napa County, the Napa City-County Library started an adult literacy program, Project Upgrade, in 1984. As part of the California Literacy Campaign, an initiative of the California State Library, Project Upgrade recruits, trains, and matches volunteer tutors with adult learners. This library-based literacy program is unique in its inclusion of an English as a second language component that provides help for a growing number of immigrants throughout Napa County. More than 140 adults a year are helped to improve their reading skills or to learn to read and speak English. A never-ending waiting list of fifty or more prospective learners underscores the program's need.