[lit-uh-reyt] [fee-niks]

What is it?

We’re using this hashtag in our social media conversations to increase awareness about literacy in the Valley of the Sun. 

It’s a play on words. "LITERATE." Now say it like "LIBERATE," the verb. Which is exactly what literacy does for us …

Why?

Did You Know:

• 36 million American adults can’t read or write well enough to fill out a job application?
• Nearly half of American adults struggle to understand and use health information, leaving them less capable of making informed health decisions. They experience poorer health and therefore increased health care costs.
• When it comes to incarceration, 59% of federal inmates and a whopping 75% of state inmates either did not complete high school or are classified as low literate.
• A 1% increase in average literacy rates yields a 1.5% permanent increase in GDP.

(source proliteracy.org)

Literacy impacts poverty. Literacy impacts equality. Literacy impacts the economy. Literacy impacts culture. And there is no place in our community better poised to offer FREE literacy resources to Valley residents than our public library system. It couldn't be clearer: a more literate Phoenix is a better Phoenix.

Tag It!

Please join us. Use #literatephx any time you’re posting about a new book, a favorite blog, or related articles and memes.

It can be serious. It can be funny. It can be obvious. Or it can be profound. If it makes you think about being literate, tag it! You might be surprised at how often you’re using it …